Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item
Palestinian woman addresses protesters: Hey kids, you’re hurting our cause:
Protests are spreading across the United States at college campuses, where university students are gathering in the name of Palestinian rights and occupying campus spaces with tents. Sadly, not everyone who purports to support Palestinians is truly interested in safeguarding our rights.
It pains me to say this as a Palestinian from Gaza. As my home is destroyed and too many killed, I never thought I would find myself criticizing those speaking up. And yet, I cannot be silent about what I am seeing. The truth is that the manner in which many gather to voice their support for Palestinians does more to hurt our cause than help it.
You know what would help the Palestinians in Gaza? Condemning Hamas’ atrocities. Instead, the protesters routinely chant their desire to “Globalize the Intifada.” Apparently they do not realize that the Intifadas were disastrous for both Palestinians and Israelis, just as October 7 has been devastating for the people of Gaza.
They should be speaking up for the innocent victims of Hamas—both Palestinian and Israeli. Instead, they endorse Hamas’s ideology with posters announcing resistance “by any means necessary” and chants of “from the river to the sea,” effectively glorifying the Al-Qassam brigades, Hamas’ military wing, whose ideology is entirely based on the elimination of more than 6 million Israelis from the land.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve said that it is Hamas that, first and foremost, must be condemned, and the pressure should be continually increasing with each and every passing day.
Weak sauce, but better late than ever:
The United States and 17 other countries demanded Hamas release all the hostages it holds in Gaza as Biden administration officials tried to ratchet up global pressure on the militant group, which the White House blames for blocking a cease-fire deal that would see the release of hostages.
“We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens,” the joint statement said. “The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern.”
The letter was signed by the leaders of the U.S., Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
“We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities,” the statement said. “Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.”
Second news item
Remember when President Biden announced that a humanitarian pier would be built floating off the coast of Gaza so that aid could more easily reach those in desperate need? Unfortunately, not everyone is on board with the project:
Gaza-based militants launched mortar rounds on Wednesday at Israeli forces making preparations for the U.S.-led effort to establish a new maritime aid route for Gaza, according to three U.S. officials.
No American equipment was damaged as the U.S.-led project — which will establish a pier a few miles offshore as well as a causeway anchored to the beach to expand access to humanitarian aid — is not yet complete, said one of the officials. All were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive plans.
But the attack came as U.S. military personnel were scheduled to soon begin construction of the pier, which the U.S. hopes will drastically expand the amount of aid that can reach the enclave.
Third news item
The vile Harvey Weinstein had his rape conviction overturned by a New York appeals court in a 4-3 ruling:
In the appeal, Weinstein’s legal team argued that he was judged on “irrelevant, prejudicial and untested allegations of prior bad acts,” per the court order.
“The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial,” the court said.
Per the report, Weinstein’s 16-year sentence for a rape conviction in California will not be affected by this.
Fourth news item
Morehouse students unhappy with selection of President Biden as commencement speaker:
Morehouse College, a nearly 160-year-old historically Black college in Atlanta, announced on Tuesday that Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker for its commencement ceremony in May.
…
Anwar Karim, a sophomore and political science major, said that when he found out that the president would speak at graduation, he was “utterly disappointed, but not surprised”. He said that he had been active with other students in speaking out about injustices around the campus, including the Israel-Gaza war and local issues in Atlanta such as the development of the Cop City law enforcement training center.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable for [a historically Black college and university] that prides itself on social justice,” Karim said. “We always want to talk about [Morehouse alum] Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and we always want to talk about the history of activism and leadership that this school has. And yet this decision does not reflect that history of social justice.”
Some students condemned Biden and his administration not only for the president’s actions supporting the war in Gaza, but also for what they say looks like an attempt to turn the students’ graduation ceremony into a campaign stop. “It’s just not a smart move to make, to just allow your students and your school to be used as a political pawn to get Black votes,” said Malik, a Morehouse senior who asked that his last name be withheld.
Lonnie White, a Morehouse junior, said that students have created a petition for the school to rescind the invite. Alumni have also circulated their own petition…
“To have Biden come here, to this campus, to this area, especially during an election year – it’s definitely pandering. We can’t invite anybody else that would actually have an insightful message to the Black students graduating? We have to have Mr 1994 Crime Bill?”
Ouch!
But it’s true that the Biden camp is working overtime to gain the Black vote, which they most definitely need in the key states. And it’s an uphill climb:
It’s not just Wisconsin, though. CNN’s conversations with two dozen top Biden campaign aides, elected officials across the country and voters on the ground in several key states detail a frantic fight that is much bigger than what’s going on in north Milwaukee. Because the president’s hopes in almost every battleground state depend on cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Atlanta, his chances of winning may come down to whether he can reverse the trend among Black voters — particularly Black men.
And while leading Black Democrats mock and decry Trump’s claims that he is appealing to Black voters by promoting his branded sneakers and saying they can now relate to him because he has a mug shot, they more quietly acknowledge that he seems well-positioned to capitalize on that disaffection all the way through November.
Already, there have been polls showing the presumptive GOP nominee increasing his share of the Black vote.
Fifth news item
Another issue of concern for President Biden:
Half of Americans — including 42% of Democrats — say they’d support mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
And 30% of Democrats — as well as 46% of Republicans — now say they’d end birthright citizenship, something guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
Additionally:
President Biden is keenly aware the crisis threatens his re-election. He’s sought to flip the script by accusing Trump of sabotaging Congress’ most conservative bipartisan immigration bill in decades.
But when it comes to blame, Biden so far has failed to shift the narrative: 32% of respondents say his administration is “most responsible” for the crisis, outranking any other political or structural factor.
Sixth news item
Arizona indicts 18 for election interference:
An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump ‘s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others for their roles in an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The indictment released Wednesday names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020. They include the former state party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate and two sitting state lawmakers, who are charged with nine counts each of conspiracy, fraud and forgery…The 11 people who had been nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claiming that Trump carried the state. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.
All the names were not revealed as they had not yet been served papers. Donald Trump was not indicted, but was named as a co-conspirator. And John Eastman was also on the list.
Seventh news item
Safety concerns stemming from anti-Israel campus protests at Columbia University have caused fear among prospective students who no longer want to attend the school, a college consultant tells Fox News Digital.
Anti-Israeli demonstrations have escalated at elite U.S. universities in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza, with many colleges, including Columbia University, seeing protests paired with antisemitic incidents that have left many Jewish students feeling unsafe.
he campus hostility and antisemitic accusations have even led some aspiring students to look elsewhere, according to a New York-based college consultant, who said only one of around a dozen accepted Columbia students he’s working with is still considering attending.
Surely more will follow this lead. Parents sending their kids off to college, want and expect – at the very least – to know that their kids will be safe on campus. It will be interesting to see the full impact on enrollment at the ivies, when all is said and done.
Eighth news item
After the Biden administration made changes to Title IX that “add protections for transgender students to the federal civil rights law on sex-based discrimination,” Gov. DeSantis of Florida said “no thanks”:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Thursday his state “will not comply” with recently unveiled changes to Title IX by the Biden administration.
“Florida rejects [President Biden’s] attempt to rewrite Title IX,” DeSantis said in a video posted to the social platform X. “We will not comply, and we will fight back.”
“We are not gonna let Joe Biden try to inject men into women’s activities,” DeSantis continued. “We are not gonna let Joe Biden undermine the rights of parents, and we are not gonna let Joe Biden abuse his constitutional authority to try to impose these policies on us here in Florida.”
Ninth news item
Over at The Bulwark, Presidential official acts and private acts:
Judging by their questions, what the conservative [justices] are evidently willing to do is manufacture some form of criminal immunity that will be governed by a private-versus-official conduct standard (with only official conduct protected), and then send the case back to District Judge Tany Chutkan to parse Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6th indictment of Trump and excise the parts for which Trump would be protected under the Court’s newly minted criminal immunity test. How the court will draw the line between official and private conduct is anyone’s guess, particularly if presidents abuse official powers for purely personal gain. That would be a win for the insurrectionist-in-chief. . .
Anything but the narrowest immunity doctrine would mean far broader protections for future presidents seeking to dodge accountability for bad deeds. Depending on how the Court writes its opinion—and how far future presidents, White House counsels, attorneys general, and Department of Justice lawyers are willing to stretch their words—large swaths of presidential action that were unimaginable before Trump could become not just real but protected.
Have a good weekend.
–Dana
Happy Friday!
Dana (8e902f) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:14 amHere’s a happy thought from the WSJ:
Trump Allies Draw Up Plans to Blunt Fed’s Independence
So, all you have to do to predict Fed decisions under this plan would be to watch Jared Kurschner’s market moves the day before.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:39 amI am expecting Hamas to offer replacement commencement speakers for US universities that are riven by demonstrations.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:42 amAnything but the narrowest immunity doctrine would mean far broader protections for future presidents seeking to dodge accountability for bad deeds. Depending on how the Court writes its opinion—and how far future presidents, White House counsels, attorneys general, and Department of Justice lawyers are willing to stretch their words—large swaths of presidential action that were unimaginable before Trump could become not just real but protected.
For example, presidents might feel able to conduct drone strikes on US citizens overseas who were aiding and abetting terrorism.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:45 amRegarding official presidential acts, Ms. Cheney speaks with her usual clarity and common sense, but she can dispense with the double spaces after her sentences.
Paul Montagu (895dc0) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:46 amLike the Executive covering up the facilitating of guns walking into Mexico?
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:48 amThe good old days:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JUDSeb2zHQ0
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:58 am@5 Apparently, Liz Cheney feels denying Trump’s immunity claim would still keep her and her dad safe from prosecution for war crimes, a fraudulent pretext for war, and enhanced interrogation techniques. Or, more likely, she figures her immunity derives from having wedded herself to the Left, in which case she’s not wrong.
lloyd (83a2d6) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:11 amMarc Thiessen follows up:
In the Senate, there was a single package of all the aid bills (and the ban on the ChiCom’s TikTok). Fifteen senators with spending for their states in the bill opposed it, led by Vermont leftists Bernie Sanders(I) and Peter Welch(D). (Rand Paul and Tommy Tuberville opposed it, but did not actually vote against it.)
(In a separate piece Glenn Kessler showed that about 80 percent of the aid for Ukraine is being spent in the US.)
Jim Miller (ac3118) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:17 amSoros is funding the anti-Semitic pro-kidnapping campus protests, and naturally outlets on the Left desperately want to debunk that claim. Soros also funds Left wing soft on crime DAs and soft on crime Democrats. It’s at least a good sign that Soros funding pro-Hamas protests is seen as bad PR, for now, but the attempts to debunk the claim are strained and comical, as if it’s based solely on similar looking tents. Democrats accepting Soros money would be exposed by an objective media, rather than shielded.
lloyd (83a2d6) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:32 amFour years ago:
Glenn Kessler
@GlennKesslerWP
I fear @tedcruz missed the scientific animation in the video that shows how it is virtually impossible for this virus jump from the lab. Or the many interviews with actual scientists. We deal in facts, and viewers can judge for themselves.
Good times.
lloyd (83a2d6) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:42 am@4
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/04/26/immunity_for_me_but_not_for_thee_1027716.html
whembly (86df54) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:55 amThis struck me as balanced too..
Karma, or Man Bites Dog?
lloyd (83a2d6) — 4/26/2024 @ 10:01 amTed Cruz was one of the fifteen senators who opposed the aid package for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. (The package also includes a ban on TikTok, which anyone who understands the extent of ChiCom spying should favor.)
His career after leaving the Bush administration reminds me of GWB’s line about Bill Clinton: “All that talent. Wasted.”
Jim Miller (ac3118) — 4/26/2024 @ 10:24 am#8
It strikes me how easily our Trump fans drift over to the old Darth Cheney propaganda from 2007.
Appalled (3d7942) — 4/26/2024 @ 12:42 pmHopefully this will open some eyes here. (If you’re gonna dream, dream BIG.)
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2024/04/25/alexandra-pelosi-january-6th-defendants-treated-unfairly-n3787141
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 12:55 pmMore dreams, although I’d love for this one to come true:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LprQzYlcUgo
And finally some decency from Hollywood (not a right-leaning celeb like Patricia Heaton, either):
https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/david-schwimmer-campus-protests-antisemitism/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=david-schwimmer-campus-protests-antisemitism
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:02 pmRIP Mike Pinder, founding (and last surviving original) member and keyboardist of The Moody Blues (82):
Nights in White Satin (written by Hayward) was a prom theme staple and included Pinder on the Mellotron.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:10 pmThis actually would be good, in my opinion, because the theory it is operating under is wrong and always has been.
raising interest rates causes inflation and it does so almost immediately, but the Fed thinks nothing can affect the rate of inflation that fast and that they waited just a tiny bit too long.
There is no substitute for the US Dollar as a reserve currency. Or a dominant one.
But one thing: Trump originally Jerome Powell.
But it is not necessary to change a law for a president to play hardball with the Fed.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:12 pmSpeaking of the Moody Blues, has anyone else ever noticed how poor their very first 1964 hit, “Go Now,” has always sounded? Love the song, but something was REALLY wrong with that master tape.
For those who know about tape recording, it always sounded horribly overmodulated. (In other words, the meters went way into the red on the mixing board).
It’s been claimed that for whatever reason, the original master was somehow lost or destroyed right after recording, so Decca records had to create every LP and 45 of the song from an inferior-quality acetate safety copy.
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:16 pmI want I want I want
Too bad it’s illegal in California.
Rip Murdock (51f0c3) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:23 pmEverybody look for Rip’s latest business venture, Chick-ExtraSuperCrispy-A. 😉
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:30 pmlloyd (83a2d6) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:32 am
He (pr rather his son now) is hardly the only source.
This is the way I would guess at this point (combined sources)
The protests are being organized by “Students for Justice for Palestine” But they only spend money. They get money from at least two nonprofits (for which contributions are tax deductible, because the law hasn’t come close to catching up with what they are really promoting.)
The nonprofits get laundered money from foreign sources.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/s-palestinian-protests-us-rcna143666
Well, of course. It’s not coming from Hamas. It’s coming from Hamas supporters. .
Probably including several countries, including China or under the protection of China.
Hamas is not its own boss. They’d have to completely irrational – more irrational than humanly possible – if they were their own boss. Ira at least is above Hamas. Iran wouldn’t have supported a group it did not feel it controls. And Iran is backed by others, probably with a goal of seeing what happens.
Right to resist = right to commit acts of terrorism because that’s all characterized by Hamas as resistance.
I guess they must be aiming at the 2028 election.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:33 pmSoros funds…comes from lloyd. Not NBC.
More on source of financing, from NBC News in March.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:43 pmThe article is very long.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 1:46 pm@15 Projection, Appalled. I haven’t called for Cheney’s prosecution. The Darth Cheney lunatics have mostly all graduated to being Orange Man Bad lunatics. The only difference is that folks like you jumped aboard.
lloyd (682e05) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:15 pmTrump trial transcripts are being prepared. They can be found here, for free: (after a day or two)
https://ww2.nycourts.gov/press/index.shtml
https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts
Click on Next at the top of the page to read them page by page:
https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/4-22-2024/
https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/4-23-2024/
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:26 pmDavid Pecker testified that Michael Cohen asked him to intercede with Trump to be reimbursed. Good questions for him would be:
1. What arguments did Mr. Cohen say you should use with Trump?
2. Name all you can recollect.
3. Did he include the argument that Trump had promised to give him the money?
(Thisis the core of the prosecution’s case.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:29 pmIf Trump had reimbursed the National Enquirer the way Michael Cohen and Allen Weisselberg was telling him to, that most likely would also have involved falsifying business records.
But the National Enquirer decided to eat the cash. So he’s only charged with falsifying business records to disguise that he was reimbursing Michael Cohen.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:33 pmDavid Pecker testified that Michael Cohen was deeply worried that Stormy Daniels would go public. Desperate enough to pay her with his own money?
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:34 pm#26
So you are just an “any argument at hand” type. Noted.
And I don’t think “orange” quite describes Trump these days. He’s gone kind of blotchy brown on his makeup. Maybe we can just move from “Orangeman” to “Sleepyman”
Appalled (3d7942) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:35 pmThe National Enquirer’s recent ownership history. (they can’t manage to sell it)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/business/media/the-national-enquirer-trump.html
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:35 pmDonald Trump blamed the National Enquirer for the leak about Karen McDougal to the Wall Street Journal
Here’s what happened:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/magazine/national-enquirer-trump-lachlan-cartwright.html
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:41 pmOn cross examination Trump’s lawyers got Pecker to acknowledge that he’d been protecting Trump for years, (before the 2016 election) and that it was sometimes a practice of the National Enquirer to protect some celebrities in exchange for help on other stories or something like that,
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:43 pmAnd commit suicide?
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:44 pmI don’t know Liz’s feelings, and I doubt you do either, but her point was about non-official acts, of which Trump admitted his post-election efforts were.
Paul Montagu (1e8339) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:50 pmI’ll also note that this litany about her dad’s alleged crimes comes straight from the left-wing playbook, circa 2004. Funny that.
Nevertheless, agree or disagree with VP Cheney, those were official acts under the GW Bush Office of the President.
Paul Montagu (1e8339) — 4/26/2024 @ 2:50 pm
Yes. It’s an apples and watermelons comparison. People need to learn to make distinctions.
Trump’s legal troubles are unprecedented precisely because Trump’s actions are unprecedented.
Tribalism clouds judgment.
norcal (249ec8) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:00 pmMany Americans don’t realize that the great majority of the military aid Congress approves for Ukraine stays right here in America — replenishing U.S. weapons stockpiles, strengthening our defense industrial base and creating good manufacturing jobs for American workers.
I can barely tolerate the argument that without U.S. aid Ukraine will collapse and be subsumed by Russia (this was the debate earlier in the week), but I have zero tolerance for the nonsense of “Aid to Ukraine is creating good American manufacturing jobs!” That is Biden-level horsepucky, claiming that our broke government and it’s $2 trillion deficit this year can just conjure up another $20 or $30 billion (or however much of it goes to weaponry) out of thin air and watch it work wonders for our economy.
I am not accusing anyone here of this, but the stupidest among our fellow Americans would say, “Hey, that’s a win/win: Ukraine gets its weapons and we get more manufacturing jobs.” I trust that readers of Patterico’s Pontifications realize that this is exactly the mindless economics behind Build Back Better and the rest of the Biden spending orgy of the past three years.
JVW (b02843) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:18 pm@36 The distinction between private and public acts is what exactly? Cheney has offered no rationale, and neither have you. I don’t favor prosecuting the Cheneys nor Trump. Those seeking to prosecute one and shield the other need to provide a rationale, and until then the charge of hypocrisy is going to stick.
lloyd (b717a8) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:23 pmItem 6 Why? Democrats turn poor black men (and not so poor) into middle class republicans. Republicans (conservatives like you not populists like trump) turn black men into black militants.
asset (ece478) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:26 pmLloyd:
Same with people here who argue that voting for Trump means you somehow approve of everything he’s ever done, but voting for Biden doesn’t equal the same.
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:28 pmAsset really, REALLY needs to switch over to a better supplier of moonshine.
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:30 pmPartial transcript from Michael Cohen’s testimony:
Prosecutor: Mr. Cohen, you — you are contradicting a sworn statement you’ve previously made to me and signed. I ask you again, sir, here and now under oath: Were you at any time a member of the Trump Organization headed by Donald Trump?
Cohen: I don’t know nothin’ about that. Oh! I was in the apartment business with his father, but that was a long time ago. That’s all.
Judge: We have a sworn affidavit — we have it — your sworn affidavit that you paid hush money on the orders of Donald Trump. Do you deny that confession, and do you realize what will happen as a result of your denial?
Cohen: Look, the FBI guys, they promised me a deal. So, so I made up a lot of stuff about Donald Trump ’cause that’s what they wanted.
But — But it was all lies. Uh…everything!
… They kept saying Donald Trump did this and Donald Trump did that. So, I said, “Yeah, sure.” Why not?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 3:51 pmMore slippery than fried grease, that Cohen guy.
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 4:10 pm@43
Are you joking around?
Or, is this real?
whembly (86df54) — 4/26/2024 @ 4:37 pmBiden Administration Shelves Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes
Racist.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 4:39 pmAre you joking around?
It’s a paraphrase from Frank Pentangeli’s testimony in Godfather, Part II.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 4:43 pmOne of the greatest movies ever made.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 4:46 pmX/Twitter is absolutely aglow with the story of Kristi Noem shooting/killing a dog and a goat, included in her new book.
How many people/celebrities embraced by conservatives have gone batsh!t insane lately now? 10? 20?
qdpsteve again (711764) — 4/26/2024 @ 7:17 pmThat’s kind of the point of the case, which even Sauer acknowledged, and which you’re in denial about. Trump’s BS claims notwithstanding, he gets no immunity for non-officials acts.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/26/2024 @ 7:30 pmThe other point is what kinds of official acts are not covered by immunity, given the queries by the Justices.
It’s a matter of preference, JVW.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/26/2024 @ 7:41 pmI’d rather Ukraine get military aid, which is being tracked by an oversight group, instead of cash, which is fungible and more prone to corruption and diversion.
Two, we’re giving the Ukrainians our surplus and older and more obsolete weaponry, and we’re backfilling it (and then some) with newer, more modern materiel. That’s a benefit to our inventory and defense.
Three, I’d rather our funds stay here and go to our MIC than be sent offshore, hence the preference part. I’m really not seeing the downside, particularly since we’re only using a fraction of our military spending to degrade Putin’s military, without risking the life of a single American soldier.
So when do we start the mass deportations and kicking out Biden’s invasion?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 4/26/2024 @ 7:49 pmGood news. One of the leaders of the Columbia Quad Squatters, the guy who said “Zionists deserve to die”, was kicked out of the university. More expulsions necessary.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/26/2024 @ 8:49 pmPaul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/26/2024 @ 7:41 pm
Yeah, thanks Paul Montagu, but do you want to address the main thrust of my comment which is that we are plunging further into unsustainable debt and then pretending that it is somehow helping our economy?
JVW (b02843) — 4/26/2024 @ 9:06 pmI think the benefits from this expenditure exceed the cost of taking on the debt from same. In other words, it’s a good investment, IMO, because it also goes to our standing with our allies and the message we send to our foes and enemies, that our word means something.
Additionally, if there’s a better way to decimate the military of a hostile foreign power with just 5% of our defense budget and no loss of American life, I’d like to know what that way is. How can we turn that down? What’s the downside?
Two, I haven’t talked about how the bill helps our economy, because I don’t know the effect of it, but I have mentioned that it adds American jobs, which is simply true.
Three, we’ve had a major structural imbalance between our revenues and spending since the aftermath of 9/11. The way I see it, the only way we can correct this imbalance is with taxing more of the rich, maybe re-implement the sequester to control discretionary spending, and reforming entitlements, all of which cannot be addressed in this present political environment.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/26/2024 @ 10:30 pmCatoggio well addresses our lack of focus on the American hostages that Hamas is holding. I can’t pick a blockquote because the entirety is worth the read. Bottom line, neither Biden nor Trump are focusing on the fact that militant Islamist terrorists are holding American citizens hostage, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t point this out or spotlight this situation. American citizenship is a gold standard.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/26/2024 @ 10:39 pmThree, we’ve had a major structural imbalance between our revenues and spending since the aftermath of 9/11. The way I see it, the only way we can correct this imbalance is with taxing more of the rich, maybe re-implement the sequester to control discretionary spending, and reforming entitlements, all of which cannot be addressed in this present political environment.
Or maybe we can not let every single person who wants to come in to the country come in, and stop trying to build infrastructure to accommodate them. These things are all connected. Think of how housing and traffic would be far less of a problem if 5 or 10 million illegals were deported, especially in LA.
We have a spending problem, not a taxing problem. The whole “lets throw $50 billion at the problem” thinking is what is killing us. Maybe we don’t need a bullet train between Bakersfield and Merced, or student loan bailouts, or farm subsidies, or the CHIPs Act. Maybe Europe could actually pick up some more of the Ukraine thing — it’s their ox being gored.
BUt who do we have on offer:
1) Mr Same’ol kick-the-can-down-the-road who’ll be dead before the fan’s sh1t gets to his neighborhood.
2) Mr Kick-over-the-table and it’s-all-about-me wannabe Caesar.
Our problems are not inside the lines any more. Sequester!?!?! How droll.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/26/2024 @ 10:49 pmGov. kristi noem shoots 14 month old puppy. To look tough so trump will pick her for veep? (DU)
asset (8b4c5e) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:07 am@52 as tonto said to the lone ranger what you mean “WE”.
asset (8b4c5e) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:09 amKevin, only 30% of our spending is discretionary, and half of that is defense spending. The other 70% is interest and entitlements. Something has to give, so we can’t just look at one side, the spending side, of the ledger if we want to make any serious dent to our annual deficits, especially when we’re paying out (or soon paying out) more than we’re bringing in on Medicare and Social Security.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:11 amAny analysis of our deficit and debt without a structural analysis of the budget is pretty useless. We can cherry-pick any spending item and say it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Paul is correct that entitlements, defense, and debt service dominate the story. An aging population exacerbates the entitlement trajectory.
We want more young workers just not in an uncontrolled manner across the southern border. Can we fix that?
The problem is that few voters meaningfully “feel” the effects of escalating deficits and debt. It’s not like increasing debt triggers automatic tax hikes, benefit cuts, or spending caps…as it probably should. We can only imagine our political opponents paying for our collective inaction. There’s no magical tax and welfare cut that solves everything.
This has to be shared sacrifice. Which means responsible Republicans and Democrats must actually sit down and not play politics and carve out compromises. This is why it’s awful to nominate irresponsible candidates who have zero interest in doing what’s right for the coming generations.
We do have to restructure social security and medicare to slow the growth of their outlays. We have to make tough calls on military spending. But I’m not sure that means we abdicate our role in international crises….or completely abandon fiscal stimulus during downturns.
I also agree with Paul that Ukraine spending is not just about sending a message to Putin about the resolve of the West, it’s also an important message to Xi. How much do we save by delaying an invasion of Taiwan? How much do we save by keeping a buffer between Russia and Poland and Romania? If Russia consolidates control in Ukraine, will NATO have greater long-term costs than if Russia is held in check?
If nationalists want to focus on debt, I welcome them to the table. But I want to see their comprehensive plan. If they want no discussion of entitlement reform, then they’re unserious. If the tax system isn’t reformed to yield more revenue, then the plan doesn’t sound viable. If we get more debt ceiling melodrama, then we’re not being honest.
AJ_Liberty (e3c112) — 4/27/2024 @ 6:57 amIf you are interested in deficits, let me suggest you study this graph: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSGDA188S
But that’s because I think deficits (or surpluses) as a percent of GDP is the most useful single measure. (I assume everyone — well, almost everyone — knows that the national debt can decline as a percentage of the GDP, even while we run consistent deficits — if the deficits are small relative to the growth in the economy,)
Jim Miller (321e3d) — 4/27/2024 @ 7:44 amWhat message is sent by an administration that constantly requests insufficient funds for the national defense budget?
From the Defense Department Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request transcript:
Pathetic.
I don’t think this represents the intimidating posture that single after-the-fact supplemental bills supposedly achieve.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 7:46 amTwo, I haven’t talked about how the bill helps our economy, because I don’t know the effect of it, but I have mentioned that it adds American jobs, which is simply true.
I wish I could remember who said this first, but government spending doesn’t create jobs, it just moves them from one sector of the economy to another.
I will accept the argument that it’s worth going further into debt because it sends an appropriate message to our global rivals, but when the word “investment” is tossed around I can’t help but think of Clinton, Obama, Biden, Schumer, Pelosi and all of the other Democrats who so recklessly try to pass off their wasteful spending as “investments.”
JVW (b02843) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:08 amI would still maintain, though, what I commented on the previous post: if Ukraine support really is vital to our interests then each American should be asked to pay $300 on its behalf. I’ve probably come close to donating that much through various diocesan funds pegged towards humanitarian relief in Ukraine, but at least that was voluntary and not compelled by Uncle Sam.
JVW (b02843) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:18 amThis strikes me as a major surprise:
Navalny’s widow believes that he was likely poisoned. If that is indeed the case, and if it did not come on the order of Vladimir Putin, is Putin now angry at whomever took the initiative on his or her own? Or could it be that Navalny died of “natural” causes, the effects of his unconscionable incarceration over the past three years and past maltreatment including his 2020 poisoning?
Or are our intelligence agencies no better than they were 20 years ago when they were screwing up their analysis of the Middle East?
JVW (b02843) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:52 amYes, which is a pretty reasonable way for Putin to intend and be responsible for Navalny’s death, right?
The distinction drawn here is not really even important.
Dustin (66b824) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:55 amPutting the “I” in Integrity:
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 9:00 amI don’t approve of Biden’s feeble approach to our national defense, or his feebleness in general, but a little perspective here. We spend more on our national defense than the next nine largest-spending countries combined.
I think it depends on the government spending, JVW. More specifically, and going by Keynes, deficit spending has a stimulative effective on an economy but, as we’ve seen from the massive spending after the pandemic, it can be inflationary.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 9:04 amI think it depends on the government spending, JVW. More specifically, and going by Keynes, deficit spending has a stimulative effective on an economy but, as we’ve seen from the massive spending after the pandemic, it can be inflationary.
And that inflationary spending, whether because of the so-called stimulus or from the cumulative effects of years and years of deficits, has the effect of preventing job creation in the private-sector. So I think the point is valid: the government doesn’t create jobs, it just reassigns them.
JVW (b02843) — 4/27/2024 @ 9:24 amPutin almost certainly did not order the cutting off of the ears and the asphyxiation torture of the theater terrorist suspects, either.
That is not how a security state functions, comrades.
It is expected of the security organs that they “should not be too rigidly bound by legalisms”.
When Navalny was taken into custody, it was understood by everyone that it would be an “indeterminate” sentence absent an intervening act of clemency.
nk (f09cc3) — 4/27/2024 @ 10:00 amIrrelevant.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 10:04 amThe very first thing we need is a spending limitation amendment. Failing a 2/3rd vote of each House, limit non-debt-service spending to 20% of the previous 4 years average GDP.
Balanced budget amendments don’t work. California has one and has ALWAYS found a way to spend in deficit by lying about expected income or playing games with accounting on outlays. You have to limit the spending, THEN we can talk about tax increases.
But the whole “we’ll hold down spending, but we really need to raise taxes” game has been played so many times it’s Lucy & the Football. And we always end up on our backs like Charlie Brown.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:12 amSocial Security and Medicare are supposed to have sequestered funding mechanisms. This has not been honored in several ways, notably the lack of market rate interest paid to the trust funds over the years.
Politician’s largess during the initial decades of SS, where the pre-Boomer generations got back much more than they ever put in, led to the 1980’s “reform” that doubled FICA taxes, lowered benefits and delayed eligibility. Boomers will probably get back what they paid, with interest, on average. High-income Boomers will not.
Social security though is solvable with a small tax increase, another year’s delay, and adjustment of the COLA bumps.
Medicare is a mess and the answers are not simple. A large part of the problem is the rising cost of new drugs. There is probably some limitation that needs to be made here, but Biden’s approach is to limit co-pays and premiums while forcing coverage of all these new drugs. Which cannot work.
The result with Medicare is going to be Medicare Advantage for most, and significantly higher co-pays and premiums for Original Medicare (and similarly for the Supplements which cover those co-pays). And an increase in the FICA rate.
It would also help A LOT if the two trust funds could put their money into the A+ bond market under control of the Fed or other independent agency.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:26 amNothing can be done about the debt, although I see that Trump wants to control rates, which would work until the wheels came off.
If Social Security and Medicare can be returned to sequestered status, the debt is given first call, and a spending limitation is place, then it becomes a matter of budgeting the available money.
Then we can talk about raising taxes to meet the now fixed expenses.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:30 amI am not a radical, and I do not generally favor radical solutions. But the times now (or shortly will) demand major changes in what we do.
Joe Biden has no interest in the future. His horizon is 2026.
Donald Trump has no interest in the future and not much interest in the present unless it affects him directly. He wants to get revenge for the past.
These are our choices. God help the United States of America. The president that follows is going to have the Labors of Hercules to attend to.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:34 amWhat really truly scares me is that we may actually need a Caesar in the near future. The Center is not holding.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:36 amThe world isn’t static; emergent requirements and situations happen. For example, the need to support Israel after the October 7th attacks wasn’t foreseen by anyone at the time (least of all Israel), and certainly not when current federal budget was being developed. Every administration has submitted supplemental budget proposals.
What was embarrassing was the dysfunction in Congress that delayed the supplemental funding to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan when everyone knew it would pass in the end. But I’ll bet we’ll see Congress hop to it to provide supplemental funding for tornado damage in the Midwest.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:40 amWe want more young workers just not in an uncontrolled manner across the southern border. Can we fix that?
Well, we can. We have to fix our immigration process almost entirely to get there though. Currently, the last group of people we let in are workers, and that is by intention — labor unions controlled the last reform.
1) We have to normalize all who have come in illegally. My preference would be permanent residence with a bar on citizenship (there has to be a cost). Get them into the system, paying FICA and income taxes and some of our problems are lessened.
2) Restructure who we admit to favor young skilled workers and tradesmen. This might not be so very popular with MAGA, but it’s really who we want to let it.
3) Allow bringing in children and spouses, but not others unless they also qualify as workers. We do not need to be importing extra dependents.
4) Require that all taxes be paid, perhaps on a payment schedule, for those owed but not paid due to illegal employment.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:46 amEvery state except Vermont has some sort of balanced budget requirement.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:48 amDerp.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:48 amIn California, the governor must propose, the legislature must pass, and the governor must ultimately sign a balanced budget.
And yet it’s often pure fiction.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 11:53 am“I wish I could remember who said this first, but government spending doesn’t create jobs, it just moves them from one sector of the economy to another.”
I think the idea is that during recessions, the other sectors aren’t hiring…so infrastructure and defense spending fills in the gaps. It’s a fair point to note that growing these sectors through economic booms as well will starve talent from other productive ventures. Military spending is tricky because if you cut it too much, then you spend too much trying to replace lost specialized talent (think building submarines) when you have to ramp it back up. Infrastructure is also something no one wants to pay for until a bridge collapses or a levee breaks. I would imagine the national highway system employed a lot of construction people though the 50’s. Was it economically inefficient? Would we have a highway system if it was left to the private sector?
“if Ukraine support really is vital to our interests then each American should be asked to pay $300 on its behalf”
Liberals would say the same about a border wall. The question becomes do we have bake sales and sell bonds for Taiwan as well? How about Israel? Maybe the answer is “yes”, but we’ve gotten away from fiscal responsibility because it doesn’t affect the average voter. The Left wants the super-rich to pay for our largesse and the Right thinks economic growth is the only answer….even in a global economy where it’s no longer possible for us to make everything for a profit.
I still think step 1 is that we have to cool-down our political system. Literally nothing of consequence is possible today, with even popular actions are exploited by radicals on both sides. Hyper-partisanship enabled by for-profit media makes us questionably governable. Trump is the GOP nominee not because he has the skills, knowledge, and temperament to get the job done, but because he’s entertaining, bombastic, and a norm buster. I don’t really see great things replacing the norms under attack. The idea that we are all in this together and must find compromise is dying. It’s not that we shouldn’t fight about culture issues, but we really do need to put things in context and not make our politics so toxic that we can’t think about the next generation.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:11 pmThe current state of California’s budget
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/04/california-budget-deficit-questions-deadlines/
Not on the table so far: Not expanding Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:14 pm“I wish I could remember who said this first, but government spending doesn’t create jobs, it just moves them from one sector of the economy to another.”
That’s simplistic. Project Apollo created many more jobs than it directly paid for. Medicare crated many more jobs as well, as the services it paid for would not have been provided otherwise.
Some are probably just transfers, of course, and some are probably destructive — regulatory agency employees regulating as make-work.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:19 pmThe idea that we are all in this together and must find compromise is dying. It’s not that we shouldn’t fight about culture issues, but we really do need to put things in context and not make our politics so toxic that we can’t think about the next generation.
My one faint hope is that the GOP candidate in 2028 might be the one person who was saying that this time. Maybe we’ll be done with this othering by then.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:23 pmI’ve said this before about MEdicare, but I think it bears saying again:
If you are young and think that Medicare is just wasting money on old people, consider it as medical experiments on prolonging life, and that you might benefit.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:26 pmLooking for an exit:
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:36 pmLOL! Medicare conducts R&D on life extension? Who knew!
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:39 pmThe line between official acts and personal acts, political acts and non political will always be muddy. The ink will not be dry before the legions of DC Lawyers will be poring over the ruling for creative loopholes. Its done all the time. we know that the lawyers at the DOJ figured out how to legally leak to the media even though the the law was supposed to prevent it- and that they laughed about how clever they were
steveg (aa9e3d) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:40 pmif _____________(fill in favorite program here) really is vital to our interests then each American should be asked to pay $__________on its behalf.
FIFY.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:44 pmThe National Park System is the perfect example of a program that not only doesn’t generate a significant economic impact, it demonstrably imposes economic costs by blocking resource development, such as mining, dams, and real estate projects.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:49 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 12:26 pm
Now why didn’t the Democrats use that as a description for their death panels? Academic, since that’s the
felipe (5e2a04) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:09 pmendgamebenefit of the mrna path for “vaccines” in medicine.LOL! Medicare conducts R&D on life extension? Who knew!
Whaddaya think all those tricky biologicals are? Expensive and risky now, and the one that work will be cheap later.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:16 pmmrna path for “vaccines” in medicine.
Winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:17 pmIf it were not for Medicare, not one dime would be spent on research into the diseases of old age.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:19 pmRIP actor/producer/director/newscaster Terry Carter (95):
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:43 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:17 pm
Alottagood the Nobel prize did for Ivermectin, eh? Billions of doses with an excellent safety profile; cheap(!), and blocked from use as a prophylactic(cheap!) at every turn with every proponent called a quack or worse. While unknown world-wide harm comes from the experimental “vaccines.”
Now, a Nobel for medicine still means something. Alfred’s TNT made many projects possible with massive benefits to all mankind, but strap the stuff to yer vest and run into a crowd… Time will bear witness to the catastrophic current use of mrna tech – the way thalidomide used during pregnancy proved catastrophic; contrasted with its use for Hanson’s disease or certain cancers.
My point is all about how mrna is used and for what it is used. Is money the overriding goal? When the trade-off is between more safety and more money, money seems to win.
felipe (176cc9) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:59 pmIf it were not for Medicare, not one dime would be spent on research into the diseases of old age.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 1:19 pm
I’d say that government activity tends to make everything it subsidizes more expensive.
felipe (176cc9) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:07 pmI’m sure that you and I are on the same side, Kevin. We both value knowledge. We both bristle at those who deride it.
felipe (176cc9) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:14 pmIvermectin … Billions of doses with an excellent safety profile; cheap(!), and blocked from use as a prophylactic(cheap!) at every turn with every proponent called a quack or worse. While unknown world-wide harm comes from the experimental “vaccines.”
And rightly so. Doctors who prescribed it for Covid should have been imprisoned.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:16 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:16 pm
You are wrong. First, that is the path of the Totalitarian. Second, it runs counter to the practice of medicine.
felipe (176cc9) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:19 pmI’d say that government activity tends to make everything it subsidizes more expensive.
It can, as with education. To a point, those subsidies have benefits. When NDSL started, it was for STEM and languages, where we needed to focus during the Cold War. Then the loans got extended to all subjects and we got ethnic studies and rampant inflation in education.
Medicare? Hard to say. Before Medicare old people could not buy insurance — everyone has some kind of preexisting condition by the time they’re 65. So very little was spent on treating them or research into their problems. Available drugs were insulin and aspirin. Afterwards? Lots of things that turn out to be helpful to younger people as well (e.g. statins). Not to mention cancer treatments, heart disease intervention and vascular repair.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:29 pmSecond, it runs counter to the practice of medicine.
First, do no harm.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:30 pmIf you are one of those people who call Covid immunization “death jabs” we are done talking about it.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:31 pmHere’s a solution to our country’s budget problem:
Everybody gets a haircut at whatever percentage it will take to achieve balance over a reasonable period of time. (The only exception I would make is people who are barely making it on Social Security).
If it’s 10%, so be it. And yes, that includes my federal pension. Will government agencies have to make tough budgeting choices?You’re damn right they will.
norcal (a55a49) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:01 pmIt’s exactly relevant. The issue is about American defense spending.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:07 pmEverybody gets a haircut at whatever percentage it will take to achieve balance over a reasonable period of time. (The only exception I would make is people who are barely making it on Social Security).
But it won’t be. It will all be tax hikes and the cuts will never happen. Why do I believe this? Because it is what has always happened. At best the rate of increase will be slowed.
A constitutional amendment to limit spending is the first thing that has to happen. GOVERNMENT has to take the first hit.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:12 pmNot everything can be cut 10%. Medicare for example. It’s a price control, and price controls mostly result in unintended consequences. Do you really thing that government benefits will be cut 10%? They might cut salaries, but they’ll hide it in more benefits, or in failure to police benefit frauds like pension spiking.
And you can cut defense by more than 10%, you can cut some things by 100%. Ten percent across the board is 1) fallacious and 2) simplistic. It mostly attempts to avoid thought.
Cut what they can spend to a fixed number and give them knives.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:18 pm@70 debt is deflationary spending sometimes is inflationary. A good example is collage loan debt preventing young people from buying cars and homes and even getting married and having kids.
asset (6f20fb) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:21 pmIndeed. And my comment was about an internal problem and the general appearance of how this administration looks on the world stage by constantly requesting less in defense spending than what even congress thinks is the bare minimum.
Your comment regarding what the total dollar amount equals compared to other countries is irrelevant. You included it as “a little perspective” on why Biden wants to tank the defense budget. I don’t see that. You may as well tell everyone how many miles the budget dollars would cover if it was in one dollar bills laid out end to end.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:23 pm@72 Please explain why irrelevant?
asset (6f20fb) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:23 pmDoctors who prescribed [Ivermectin] for Covid should have been imprisoned.
Given its safety profile, its billions of doses administered worldwide, plus its cheap, I disagree.
Drugs are used off label all the time
Ivermectin is known as an anti parasite drug, but it does not kill the parasite, the bodies immune system does. “The prevailing school of thought is that ivermectin actually interferes with the ability of microfilariae to evade the human immune system, resulting in the host’s own immune response being able to overcome the immature worms and so kill them” Here the thing. They aren’t 100% sure how Ivermectin does this but one possibility is that it does something to the immune system, not the worms.
Why not try it to see if would act as an immune system booster against COVID?
So it might fail, its safety profile says it does no harm, where’s the crime?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3043740/
steveg (aa9e3d) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:24 pm@76 President AOC will be up to the task with help from her VP Cory Bush.
asset (6f20fb) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:26 pm@106 inflation can make the debt worthless. Example we owe 40 trillion and it costs 50 trillion two buy a newspaper.
asset (6f20fb) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:32 pmOne, there isn’t a randomized clinical trial that has shown ivermectin to be an effective treatment for Covid (link). The one exception are some studies in India or Bangladesh because the test subjects were already impacted by worms and parasites, for which ivermectin is an effective treatment.
Two, Covid vaccines, including mRNA, aren’t “experimental”. All three approved vaccines successfully went through randomized clinical trials involving tens of thousands of participants.
Three, they’re vaccines, not “vaccines”, so stated by CDC and FDA. The studies in TX and OH well displayed their effectiveness between the vaxxed and un-vaxxed.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:33 pmIt’s relevant because we’re not at war, BuDuh, just handling some hotspots in Syria and Iraq, and giving a leg up to a couple of countries who are in wars caused by their enemies.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:38 pmThe one exception are some studies in India or Bangladesh because the test subjects were already impacted by worms and parasites, for which ivermectin is an effective treatment.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:33 pm
Yup. That’s my understanding as well. Ivermectin, by killing the worms and parasites, allowed those people to better fend off Covid. If worms and parasites are not present, then there is no benefit.
norcal (a55a49) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:41 pmThis article is intriguing: https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/how-ivermectin-trials-were-designed-to-fail-5616759
It is a paywall.
One of the biggest takeaways was the claim of the author that “Improper dosing was a major issue in the RCTs(Randomized Clinical Trials) that found ivermectin ineffective.”
Too many links and studies in the article to try a cut and paste mess here. Hopefully those who are interested enough will read the whole link.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:42 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:18 pm
The problem is that people are always in favor of cutting some other guy’s benefit.
With a haircut for all, everybody has to take a bite of the sh!t sandwich.
norcal (a55a49) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:44 pmBut it is not relevant to my comment that you crafted that response.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:55 pmThe only real way to substantially cut defense spending is to revisit the strategy it supports. Right now the strategy is to be involved in every part of the world. The US doesn’t need aircraft carriers or I intercontinental bombers if you don’t intend to fight a war far from the US mainland.
Of course one needs to understand the consequences of retreat from a “world” strategy to a North America strategy. One of the reasons for the Korean War is that the US drew its postwar defensive line in Asia to to include Japan but not the Asian mainland.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:58 pmIt’s good that a Low Credibility site like Epoch Times is behind a paywall. Something about fools and their money soon parted.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:00 pmWhere does “NationalZero” rate, Paul?
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:12 pmAre Gazans beginning to think more rationally? Perhaps:
About 100,000 Gazans, according to another source, have left the strip.
(One of the lessons that still needs to be learned by much of the world is that terrorist attacks almost always make life worse for those who support the terrorists.)
Jim Miller (e1cbe4) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:17 pmDid I link to them regarding scientific claims? No. Have I linked them ever? I dunno, maybe, you tell me. You sound upset about it.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:41 pmWow! You got pretty touchy over that question.
I can see where you want to steer the conversation. It’s ok.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:47 pmWhy not try it to see if would act as an immune system booster against COVID?
They did. It didn’t. But the boosters refused to believe it. You cannot fight faith with facts.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:48 pmThe studies in TX and OH well displayed their effectiveness between the vaxxed and un-vaxxed.
As did the 10x death rate among the unvaxxed.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:50 pmhttps://www.theepochtimes.com/health/how-ivermectin-trials-were-designed-to-fail-5616759
As I said, you cannot fight faith with facts.
For example we have the 9-11 truthers
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:55 pmThe epoch times is a front for Falun Gong. A cult.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:57 pmWhere does “NationalZero” rate, Paul?
Vaccines are to harden the target, not to prevent all infection. Again.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:58 pmWith a haircut for all, everybody has to take a bite of the sh!t sandwich.
Not once in the history of government, has everyone take the same haircut. If the object is to cut spending than cut spending at the top line. Let them fight over the scraps.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:59 pmThe only real way to substantially cut defense spending is to revisit the strategy it supports. Right now the strategy is to be involved in every part of the world. The US doesn’t need aircraft carriers or I intercontinental bombers if you don’t intend to fight a war far from the US mainland.
I for one do not want to live in a world policed by China.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 5:00 pmMy favorite take regarding Governor Noem’s shooting her dog and dumping the carcass in a gravel pit…
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 5:03 pmHave a nice weekend, everyone.
BuDuh (550a53) — 4/27/2024 @ 5:03 pmSaid the guy with a record of trying to impugn the commenter instead of debating the issue.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 5:05 pmMore dogpiling (pun intended) on Gov. Noem:
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 5:59 pmNo, the shanty-trash just made up the stories.
Every farmer knows that billy goats smell very bad and are very aggressive. They are kept only for breeding purposes, confined and/or tethered and away from dwellings, and definitely not as pets for children.
Likewise with the dog. Only somebody who knows absolutely nothing about hunting with a dog would take an untrained dog out on a shoot in the first place, and definitely not without a stout leash anywhere near chickens.
nk (b86a34) — 4/27/2024 @ 5:59 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 2:31 pm
What a nonsensical thing to say to me. You know that I have never held such a position or used such language. If you didn’t, then you have not paid sufficient attention to my comments. But I do not comment as often as many others here, so you may have someone else in mind.
felipe (176cc9) — 4/27/2024 @ 6:11 pmMore reactions:
The political commercials (and the obligatory SNL skit) will just write themselves. The story reminds me of this magazine cover.
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 6:22 pm@141 “@KristiNoem just SHOT her political career in the head at point blank range. Absolute Psycho.”
Little did she know how her political career would skyrocket if she simply ate the dog.
And, remember the SNL skit about an SNL star who shot and killed a human?
All this disingenuous outrage is a skit that writes itself.
lloyd (5852e0) — 4/27/2024 @ 6:38 pmFrat boys can be useful. Well done, ASU.
I was watching Smerconish this AM and he made a good distinction about the campus protesters, that there’s nothing wrong with students expressing their 1st Amendment rights, but the encampments and tents are trespassing, have business being there, and should be removed forthwith.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 7:10 pmTiki Man Torched:
Rip Murdock (79ebbf) — 4/27/2024 @ 7:41 pm@138 Trump said he could shoot a person on 5th ave. so why not kristi noem?
asset (a8e268) — 4/27/2024 @ 7:54 pmFor just one night, the pro-kidnapping protesters will be doing the country a favor.
lloyd (e0cd62) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:19 pmSo far there have been no kent states to wave the bloody shirt. This is no longer just about gaza something more is happening. Chicago 1968? The radical left is starting to get reinforcements from progressive democrats. The polls now show 50% of 18 to 35 support hamas and 25% don’t think Israel has a right to exist. (fox news) The bootle deposit crook rolls snake eyes and now says he wont attack rafah if hamas releases hostages. Another biden it turns out. I a lefty is now tougher on hamas then the bottle deposit crook! I warned months ago to many palestinian children were being killed to keep netanyahu in office and out of a jail cell. Comments about the protests from conservatives amuse yourselves ;but have no relevancy as this is a fight among the liberals and the left.
asset (a8e268) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:34 pmFor the sake of Fair and Balanced, Mrs. Montagu used to work at an animal shelter in our early days, and she’ll tell you there are no bad pets, but there are plenty of bad dog owners, and one of those bad dog owners is Biden himself.
If you’re going to own some German Shepherds, then do the work of being with them and caring for them, not passing them off to handlers and putting them in strange high-traffic environments, like a White House.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/27/2024 @ 8:56 pmI know Ivermectin is not thought to have worked to protect against COVID, but it is a drug that gets looked at because of what it seems to be able to do to the immune system. It is also currently being studied to see if it can assist against cancers and human adenoviruses. Some people are dosed with tamoxifen for breast cancer and ivermectin is used because sometimes triple-negative breast cancers begin to resist tamoxifen and ivermectin restores sensitivity, receptivity of the cancer cells to the tamoxifen. I’m glad Doctors work with drugs off label… is it perfect? No.
steveg (aa9e3d) — 4/27/2024 @ 9:43 pmFWIW on COVID, Doctors also tried an over the counter antacid due to its anti histamine properties and also used two blood pressure medications. The antacid didn’t work and the two blood pressure meds are inconclusive but might help in relaxing the cardiovascular system while a patient is fighting off the virus.
I don’t have the energy to love *or* hate Trump/BOAR. But has anyone else noticed how many of his followers and hangers-on have gone batsh!t insane?
Kanye, Mike Lindell, Laura Loomer, Kari Lake, just to name a few. And now Noem.
qdpsteve again (25f709) — 4/27/2024 @ 9:59 pmThe dog knew too much.
Well but hey. It was about to come out with a book…
qdpsteve again (25f709) — 4/27/2024 @ 10:01 pmThat’s simplistic. Project Apollo created many more jobs than it directly paid for. Medicare crated many more jobs as well, as the services it paid for would not have been provided otherwise.
Wait, what? Seriously, Kevin M, you can’t possibly believe this. Every dollar that went to the Apollo Project or Medicare was a dollar that could have been spent somewhere else in the economy which would have had far more efficiency and likely created way more jobs, or else it would have not contributed to our massive debt. If you want to say that the Apollo Project was a smashing success because we landed a man on the moon before Soviets did then I just want to ask why no other country has bothered to land a man on the moon since we have.
And considering that Medicare is one of the drivers of the ongoing deficits I can see how you would believe that the money spent on it would not have been better utilized buying automobiles, homes, beer, tacos, or lawn chairs. If you think that all of the health care jobs provided for by Medicare spending would not have materialized in the private sector then maybe that’s arguable, but imagine if we did not have $35 trillion in debt how much money might have been released in the free market to solve our health care issues.
JVW (b02843) — 4/27/2024 @ 10:19 pm@152 the political effect of not spending money on medicare is not in your equation. The same with welfare. Politicians came up with affirmative action to give black men a stake in the system and to stop cities being burned down every summer. Otto von bismark came up with the welfare state not to help the poor ;but to protect the rich from the continuous revolutions going on at the time. Milton freidmen, thomas sowell and other conservatives say its not fair to ad political violence to counter our economic policy. Life is not fair and people are not dinosaurs or sheep. People get upset here when I bring up that the court of last resort is not the supreme court ;but the street. The dred scott decision was finally adjudicated and settled july 3 1863 at cemetery ridge gettysberg pa. War is politics by other means. Politicians have to weigh the consequences of being john galt and unrestrained capitalism. To many here do not weigh the consequences of what they advocate assuming the police or military will solve the consequences.
asset (a8e268) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:13 amAt first I wondered why Noem would think that these stories would give her cred, but then I remembered Moe poking Larry and Curly in the eyes.
People have always loved slapstick.
nk (09508a) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:33 amAnd did you all know that Trumpkin is a character in the C.S. Lewis Narnia books? I only found that out yesterday, after calling Trump supporters Trumpkins for years and years. Nobody tells me anything.
nk (09508a) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:38 amFor just one night, the pro-kidnapping protesters will be doing the country a favor.
It did not cramp Biden’s act.
nk (09508a) — 4/28/2024 @ 6:31 amKudos to Mr. Maher for zinging the Gaza protesters. One of his lines…
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/28/2024 @ 8:23 am#155 nk – I like “Trummpista”, since it reminds me of the personal connection so many had to bad guys in Latin America. Examples; Peronista, Chavista, et cetera.
Jim Miller (9aa7c3) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:01 amCongratulations to NASA for getting the Voyager 1 to transmit data again.
Jim Miller (9aa7c3) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:04 am“Trumpista”, of course.
Jim Miller (9aa7c3) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:05 amName calling. The adults are in the room.
lloyd (5de531) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:13 amBiden’s 13th-Quarter Approval Average Lowest Historically
But don’t worry Bidenistas, this should help:
Mounting Evidence Is Pointing To A Nightmare Scenario For The US Economy
lloyd (5de531) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:27 amBecause nobody remembers who came in second place. Being first was the direct political benefit, but it is shortsighted to say it was the only benefit. Whole new industries were created by the space program; if it weren’t for it SpaceX wouldn’t exist (it started, and continues to be, a contract launch organization for NASA). And the Apollo program (temporarily) created a unity in the country that was sorely needed at the time, and sadly never been equaled.
The technological innovations required to go to the moon (and the space program in general) have spread throughout American life. A few that are directly attributable to the Apollo program include aircraft digital fly by wire systems; food preservation processes; and the shock absorbing (base isolation systems) systems used to earthquake proof large buildings.
Rip Murdock (e63693) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:28 amWait, what? Seriously, Kevin M, you can’t possibly believe this. Every dollar that went to the Apollo Project or Medicare was a dollar that could have been spent somewhere else in the economy which would have had far more efficiency and likely created way more jobs, or else it would have not contributed to our massive debt
It jump-started a number of high-tech companies and industries, and the research needed had all kinds of useful by-products.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-donovan-moon-cold-war-apollo-program-20190704-story.html
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:09 amEvery dollar that was spent on Medicare improved and extended lives. It also sostered development of drugs and procedures that primarily benefited the aged — drugs and procedures whose research would not have been funded without the return promised by Medicare funding.
All of these benefit current and future generations. What is extending life worth? DO you just see that as adding mouths to feed?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:13 amIf we did not have $35 trillion in debt how much money might have been released in the free market to solve our health care issues.
No money would have gone into treating diseases that disqualified people for private insurance. The only reason we have significant research into cancer, heart disease, diabetes, vascular disease and other things that primarily affect people after their working years is that they now have health insurance that pays for the resulting treatments.
In the decade after Medicare was created, life expectancy rose 3 years, the fastest rate before or since, rising by 0.5% per year in the last 5 years of that decade.
Under the insurance rules of 1968, almost no one over 65 would have benefited from free market health care since they would have been largely excluded.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:23 amLOL!
Rip Murdock (e63693) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:39 amA website about how little people know:
https://www.gapminder.org/ignorance
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:41 amThis isn’t remarked enough about Putin’s War Against Ukraine: Drones are changing the nature of modern warfare, and the side that has the most and the effective drones can come out on top, and they also negate differences in manpower.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:42 amI don’t know how much of our aid involves drones, but the Ukrainians are making good use of what they have, using off-the-shelf technology. Putin is amping up on them, too.
The real problem is that people are not good with numbers – and some of the statistics may be wrong or misleading.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:54 amThat’s what happened to the French residents if Algeria in about 1962 – although almost all of them were merely exiled – and they were saved from experiencing tyranny. Also to Jews in many Arab countries. Technically, genocide as defined by the genocide treaty is the elimination of a population group, not necessarily the killing of individuals.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:00 amI don’t know how much of our aid involves drones, but the Ukrainians are making good use of what they have, using off-the-shelf technology. Putin is amping up on them, too.
American drones, at least of the man-portable variety, are crap. The Chinese are WAY ahead there and anything doming out of DoD is hopeless junk.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:04 amHow the US Army Can Close its Dangerous—and Growing—Small Drone Gap
There may be a 3-week ceasefire in Gaza accompanied by the release if 20 hostages (and some relatively large number of detainees held by Israel but this is all to cover up the real exchange)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:10 amIt’s almost against U.S. military principles to use something not custom made for the army.
That they haven’t caught up with this development shows an inability to exercise independent judgment.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:14 amAcross the pond…….:
Rip Murdock (e63693) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:27 amThat they haven’t caught up with this development shows an inability to exercise independent judgment.
Cheap mass-produced drones don’t really interest the defense contractors.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:31 amOne of them, Liz Truss, lasted just seven weeks.
But in those 7 weeks did a lot of damage.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 12:28 pm177, Decisions are not supposed to be made only by contractors or people who want to work for them. Something faulty is ingrained in the culture of defense planning.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 12:46 pmMore by the new Andy Rooney (could be)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/28/opinion/san-francisco-public-toilet.html
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 12:50 pmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/world/middleeast/hezbollah-commanders-south-lebanon.html
The Israeli Defense minister is claiming success in Lebanon. NYT has doubts or doubts about its meaning. (brought to you by the same experts who allowed October 7 to happen)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:07 pm“American drones, at least of the man-portable variety, are crap.”
In what regard? We can certainly buy non-Chinese flight controllers and piece parts (like cameras, speed controllers, and actuators…there’s no magic to assembling platforms comparable to DJI). Are you talking quad-copter style drones? What is the price range and payload capacity that you are considering? Commercial-application of drones in the US seem to be proliferating. We probably have a lot of flight restrictions that complicates testing and therefore discourages development. I would imagine that we have people plenty smart enough to write reliable software for navigation, image processing, and teaming. Just like semi-conductor fab facilities, we do need to stay out in front of supply chain dependence….but I suspect that we’re tracking and prioritizing. At least I hope so…
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:14 pmA rotting head of lettuce lasted longer than she did.
She’s now transformed herself into a MAGA acolyte, claiming Britain’s Deep State is to blame for her fall. Apparently though, people aren’t buying it (literally).
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:18 pmIn what regard?
Note that I was talking about DoD devices, not what you can buy from Amazon.
It’s based on my personal experience, which I can’t get into. But communications links, functional and software reliability, and electronic interference with onboard devices are some of the issues with the example I had access to.
There may be other devices that are better.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:26 pmThe problem is that with the restrictions and procedures of the DoD, you are pretty much just working with Yoyodyne*.
———
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:29 pm* 5 points for the reference.
I’m sure that AeroVironment makes fine drones, but they are not of the man-portable variety.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:31 pmShe’s now transformed herself into a MAGA acolyte, claiming Britain’s Deep State is to blame for her fall.
She threatened the system with libertarian dogma; it’s not impossible that the bureaucracies reacted by RFing her program. It’s also possible that the natural reaction of markets to severe disruption was to become conservative or cash out. In any event interest rates climbed dramatically and house loans in the UK are all adjustable.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 1:56 pmWe have Global Hawks, Predators, Reapers, Ravens, etc. Granted these are not man portable, but the communication, signal integrity, and software reliability questions have been worked out. I won’t argue it’s trivial to apply it to a (much) cheaper, smaller, differently-piloted cousin platform, but it would seem if we wanted such an animal now, it’s not outside the technical competence of Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing, General Dynamics to produce it. Especially since I would wager that we have access to Chinese, Russian, and Iranian models and can reverse engineer out any engineering nuggets that might make them more reliable. I can maybe see that small outfits or research groups might struggle with preparing the special sauce. If our big companies aren’t involved, then that’s a DoD choice. My suspicion is that there are groups on the sly doing this. We just may not have those groups talking with the Ukrainians yet. But I also wouldn’t be surprised that we are behind with advancing the technology given we’re probably more focused on defeating drone swarms. But that’s just a guess.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 4/28/2024 @ 2:13 pm#176 The 2019 election in the UK was an example of what I call a “negative landslide”: The Conservatives didn’t do that much better, but the far left leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, did much worse, the second time around.
Jim Miller (8a66a1) — 4/28/2024 @ 3:38 pmAeroEnvironment Switchblade is a man portable drone (or “loitering munition”) that is currently deployed with both the US and Ukrainian military. They have also developed the hand launched Puma surveillance drone.
The Army has requested $120M for the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) man portable system (which includes Switchblades) for its Infantry Brigade Combat Teams to provide “lethality in terms of stand-off and destruction against dismounted formations, armored vehicles, and tanks”.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 3:45 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 4/27/2024 @ 3:18 pm
Better would be that you either cut something by 3% or increase it by 10%. Best would be no budget at all, but tying all spending to a source of revenue (which can include borrowing)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 3:52 pmLockheed, Northrop, Boeing, General Dynamics and lets throw in Raytheon will make drones that are too expensive per unit to be practical. Russian Spetsnaz units have been found and destroyed by modified off the shelf drones and grenades dropped from solo cups. The US is way behind the curve on the mid and low ends of the drone spectrum
steveg (c0a885) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:05 pmJim Miller (e1cbe4) — 4/27/2024 @ 4:17 pm
This surprised e because I thought it became nearly impossible for people to leave the strip, but reading some things I think it is about right,,
200,000 left in the five years before, reducing the population to just about 2 million.
The NYT has had contact with various people. Here is one story:(they have large extended families in Gaza. This person had many more living relatives than dead ones, even though many of them got killed in November because they hadn’t left Gaza City, not understanding what would happen. You can also see it was not all bombing all the time ir else they wouldn’t have been able to check up on then=m and attempt a rescue.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/us/palestinian-family-gaza-war-death.html
In other places, they call ” paying thousands of dollars for private evacuations” human trafficking, which they shouldn’t.
The central figure in the article’s father who was killed had previously visited New Jersey.
Hs=is main interest is getting amily members out. He calls himself non polirtical, which is what people opposed to Hamas there do.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:09 pmOne semi-surprising thing is that there were many people in Gaza who were relatively well off, including his father,
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:11 pmThere could have been well over a million people evacuated from Gaza. (it never could be all. No matter what about 10% of the people always stay in hazardous situations.)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:13 pmSad!
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:38 pm“SO UNFAIR!!!”
Said no winner ever.
nk (09508a) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:46 pmbut it would seem if we wanted such an animal now, it’s not outside the technical competence of Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing, General Dynamics to produce it.
This was not my experience.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:46 pmNote my link in 173 was to westpoint.edu, which has some inside information.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:48 pmThe area was not, in fact, completely closed down. ………
I say open it up completely, and put a big “T” on the side of his car so everyone can know when to cheer.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/28/2024 @ 4:52 pmSadder!
Rip Murdock (1db29c) — 4/28/2024 @ 6:01 pmPresident of the Int’l Court of Justice refuting the widely misreported assertion and thus popularly held belief that the ICJ found Israel plausibly committed genocide.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 4/28/2024 @ 6:08 pmWait. That’s not the right link, is it?
Let’s try again. (Link)
lurker (cd7cd4) — 4/28/2024 @ 6:10 pmYeah, that’s the one. (The first link also makes a good but derivative point about the ICJ finding.)
lurker (cd7cd4) — 4/28/2024 @ 6:13 pmAlan derschowitz says on fox that pro palestinian demonstrators are potential hamas terrorists! Fox news then talks about a jewish girl roughed up at palestinian campus demonstration only at the end do they mention she was part of a pro-Israel counter demonstration. I warned about this stuff! Israel supporters of netanyahu are going to roo the day they pulled this stuff for a brief political gain. Vietnam war protesters and Iraq war protesters have not forgotten what happened to them to this day. Ask hillary clinton who lost the nomination in 2008 and the election in 2016 over the Iraq war. The Israel lobby is sowing the wind and real reap the whirlwind!
asset (63a401) — 4/28/2024 @ 7:40 pmRip,
I noticed you’ve ignored polls lately. You loved showing Trump beating other Republicans. but you don’t give the same promotion to him beating Biden. Why is that?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 4/28/2024 @ 8:04 pmNJ Rob a more important poll 50% of 18 to 25 support hamas and 25% says Israel has no right to exist. Deep state make take a poll on trump, they took one in dallas many years ago.
asset (63a401) — 4/28/2024 @ 9:01 pmI was more interested (and still am) in who Republican voters favored to be their nominee. Polling Trump/Biden 191 days before Election Day isn’t as predictive like the Republican primary race polls, where Trump was 20+ points ahead of his rivals the entire time.
At best polls today show Biden and Trump essentially tied. The RCP average shows Trump +.9 in five-way race and the 538 average has Trump +1 in a three-way race with RFKJR.
It’s gonna be a long six months.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:03 pmVotes not polls shows nikki haley and others still getting 15% to 20% of republican votes as late as this tuesday. 10% of democrats vote for other in primaries still. If its close RFK .jr and jill stein could decide who is president with help from cornel west in black areas.
asset (63a401) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:35 pmSo what? Those votes are still far short of a majority.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:41 pmThe primary races are over, the protest votes are meaningless. Trump and Biden are the nominees.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:43 pmAnd like most Americans, I don’t find the general election matchup all that compelling. With the number of high quality candidates in the Republican primary field, it was interesting to see who might have challenged Trump.
Alas, it was not to be.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/28/2024 @ 10:47 pmI would like to see Patterico address what his perspective is on the Linda Teran case. The allegations were occurring right in his own department (LA County DAs), from what I can tell.
It also looks like Gascon was trying to sabotage Alex Villanueva’s re-election campaign for LA County Sheriff.
qdpsteve again (c9e73d) — 4/28/2024 @ 11:29 pmSo what? Those votes are still far short of a majority.
That level of dissatisfaction is a problem for getting these people out to vote in November. These are F-the-nominee votes.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:09 amThese are people who took the time to go to the polls and tilt at a windmill. Most of the time the disaffected just go bowling. The can be counted on to go to the polls in November and vote for someone other than Trump or Biden.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:11 amThe allegations were occurring right in his own department (LA County DAs), from what I can tell.
That may be off-limits. It’s one thing to talk about an election preference, but airing dirty laundry?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:12 am@210 & 211 missing forest for the trees. Who will they vote for in general if its close.
asset (63a401) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:29 am201. Donald Trump, a billionaire accustomed to jet-setting between adoring campaign rallies and his Florida estate, has spent two weeks—with as many as six to go—sitting unhappily at the defense table ….
And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby.
It’s too bad that he did not experience this dehumanization much earlier in his thoughtless, careless, and selfish life. Then he might have grown up to be less blasé about police slamming prisoners’ heads into car door frames, allowing women to be executed, and who deserves to be called “people”.
nk (6c45b4) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:29 am#218
Though everyone has forgotten about the Georgia case (or assumed it had been delayed by Fani’s goings on), it is still scheduled during the heart of campaign season. Trump is going to be nailed to the floor here in Georgia starting August 5, unless the Georgia Appeals court does him the solid they have not done yet, and that case is going to take forever.
Appalled (7ea398) — 4/29/2024 @ 7:08 amAppalled,
read what you wrote. Your desire for bloodlust is noted, but your claims that Trump will be nailed proclaims your biases as does your complaints that the Appeals Court is doing “favors” rather than following the law.
So much for justice being blind.
NJRob (962f8e) — 4/29/2024 @ 8:18 amTrump the Victim (cartoon)
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 8:29 amWell qualified:
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 8:48 amI disagree. Most of them are partisan leaners who have vented their frustrations in the primaries but will end up voting for either Biden or Trump in general.
For example, Bill Barr.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:02 am#219
I agree that these charges should have been addressed in 2022/2023 — not now. Problem is that the reason these things are delayed is that’s a part of the DJT legal strategy. If it ends up backfiring on him — tough.
Appalled (22ebad) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:17 amRelated:
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:38 amRelated,
The Biden Family criminal enterprise gets cash transferred to them through the Quatari sponsors of terror. Nothing to see here.
NJRob (962f8e) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:50 amOnly one presidential family business has been found to be a criminal enterprise in the courts.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:05 amEurope prepares for the end of US protection:
Europe planning new ‘nuclear umbrella’ with 300 French nuke missiles spread across continent for showdown with Russia
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:09 amNJ Rob at 220:
NJ Rob at 227
Your desre for bloodlust is also noted and your biases are proclaimed. Thank you for your promptness in getting those out there.
Appalled (7ea398) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:13 amFIFY.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:43 amMan,
so many people want to avoid talking about the Biden’s corruption and trail of criminal behavior.
It’s a fascinating case study for those who want to partake in it.
NJRob (962f8e) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:46 amHe keeps on knockin’ , but no one’s answerin’::
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:52 amGiven the ineptitude of the House impeachment inquiry, which even the chair of House Oversight Committee is running away from, what’s there to discuss? Influence peddling by the children and other relatives of government officials are crimes committed by them, not the President.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 11:01 amIs Biden’s family registered as an agent of a foreign government? Inquiring minds want to know.
NJRob (962f8e) — 4/29/2024 @ 11:07 am> Is Biden’s family registered as an agent
The question is nonsensical. Individual members of the family may be registered as agents and may be required to register as agents, but the family as a whole has no legal existence and therefore is not subject to a registration requirement.
aphrael (1797ab) — 4/29/2024 @ 11:52 amSo which members are registered and which aren’t? Who has ties to all these terrorist organizations and is being funded by them?
NJRob (962f8e) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:11 pmThis appears to be the story behind NJRob’s questions:
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/28/jim-biden-qatar-testimony-00154704
Is Joe Biden responsible for his family exploiting their relationship to him? Is there any evidence Joe Biden encourages this? Given the Trump family’s connections with Saudi Arabia (among others), is this even somwthing to bother about?
Appalled (7ea398) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:23 pmhttps://hotair.com/john-s-2/2024/04/29/columbias-president-says-negotiations-with-protesters-have-failed-so-what-comes-next-n3787417
Clownworld commies with the support of the faculty showing what side they are really on.
Supporting the left is supporting this cancer metastasizing throughout America.
NJRob (962f8e) — 4/29/2024 @ 12:27 pmIs Jared Kushner a made man or just a son-in-law like Carlo?
With fifty (50) years of Trump’s dirty dealings littering the landscape across three continents, his sycophants’ desperate quest for tu quoque is pathetic.
nk (cb210e) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:20 pmThe key paragraph in the article is:
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:35 pmAnd so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby.
nk (6c45b4) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:29 am
Trying to picture nk back in the day with his bell bottoms on, groovin’ to Sly and the Family Stone.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:42 pmToo many qualifiers (“if substantiated”, “alleged”) to be taken at face value.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:44 pmAppalled, why can’t you understand that *both* the Trump and Biden admins can be dirty?
I’ll never in a hundred years understand why people think Biden’s crap smells like roses just because Trump also has issues. The eagerness of some people here to excuse away anything Joe does is bewildering.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:45 pmThat’s fine, Rip. You enjoy your delusion that Biden is the most perfect person ever to walk the face of the earth, while Trump is the devil himself.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:47 pmAnd again I better say: I am NOT a Trump fan. Some people here tend to either have short memories and/or believe that any criticism of Biden automatically makes one a BOAR fanboi.
In fact I’m likely to leave my ballot blank for POTUS this year. RFK appeals to me far more but I know he has tons of weirdness of his own.
Meanwhile, X is all about who DJT will pick for his VP, now that Noem has taken out and shot her political future. The two names getting a lot of traction are DeSantis, who supposedly met with Trump just recently, and Tulsi Gabbard.
Hoping Ron told Don, no way but thanks for the free Big Mac lunch. Tulsi would be a good choice but most likely still wouldn’t get me to vote for the ticket.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 1:57 pmI think only JVW likes Tulsi.
As for DeSantis, a negative times a negative is a positive only in math. Biden is still going full bore towards his left fringe, but it seems to me that Trump has been inching towards the center after Haley dropped out.
nk (cb210e) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:14 pmnk, I judge Trump’s VP picks assuming that for whatever reason, BOAR won’t be able to complete anything close to his full 2025-2029 term (should he be elected of course). So IMHO, whomever is Don’s pick will become the actual president before too long.
Would I absolutely love to see DeSantis become president? Yes, but not at the expense of burying himself in Trump’s baggage.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:18 pmU. of texas demostrations continue despite police tough law enforcement. The left is ready to hit back hard so escalation. Kent state happened in ohio not berkley or columbia. Martyrs are in waiting. They have a rendezvous with death at some disputed barricade.
asset (160ed4) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:26 pmBTW, qdpsteve, what’s BOAR?
nk (cb210e) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:45 pmHow should we treat the victims of a con man? I think the decent thing to do is with sympathy.
But what if they refuse to recognize they are victims? (And some victims of con men do.) That’s harder, but I think we should still feel some sympathy, and not give up on reasoning with them.
For example, I don’t think Jim Hoft is a bad man, or even unpatriotic, desite the dmage he has done to America. But I do think he got conned, and is paying the price.
Reminder: People who follow the Loser risk losing their money, their health, and even their freedom.
Jim Miller (c9fdea) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:47 pmFrom March 1952 until at least May 1956, the Micronite filter in Kent cigarettes contained compressed blue asbestos within the crimped crepe paper, which is carcinogenic. (DU)
nk (cb210e) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:49 pmnk, BOAR is my nickname for Donald J. Trump. I thought most people here would like it. 🙂
Big
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:54 pmOrange
Angry
Revenge
Jim, Gateway Pundit is/was notorious for running with conservative ‘news’ stories without proper (or sometimes any) corroboration.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 2:55 pmAlso, fun fact: any civil award against Hoft can be discharged (i.e. made moot) via bankruptcy.
Learned this when I worked at a popular consumer bankruptcy law firm.
We had a few clients with failed businesses, who used bankruptcy to avoid having to fulfill their workers’ final paychecks. Ick.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:00 pmI don’t think I’ve ever said anything remotely like that about Biden, but feel free to prove me wrong. I only think accusations should be backed up with evidence, which the Republican impeachment investigation has been completely lacking. But I do agree with you on the second point, however. 👺
I have said repeatedly, I don’t intend to vote for any candidate for president in November.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:03 pmBecause there is no direct evidence of any wrongdoing by Joe Biden, as opposed to his sons?
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:06 pmI’ve read through this article twice, and it’s not the “Biden family”, it’s one Jim Biden.
Two, this all happened when Joe was a private citizen.
Three, Jim wanted Qatari money but didn’t get any.
Four, Joe is “blessed” with having two losers in his family, a son and a brother.
One word: Nothingburger.
Paul Montagu (d4d407) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:09 pm#254 qdp – I know that, but I think he took a turn for the worse when the Loser came on the scene. Once, before then, I tried to correct an error Hoft had made. He replied politely, but it appeared to me that he didn’t understand my point.
Jim Miller (c9fdea) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:14 pmRip, ask yourself this question:
If Donald Trump’s sons and daughters were accused of these exact same crimes, would you assume the President was involved in their malfeasance? Would you say “it’s obvious” that he’s guilty, and that his congressional supporters are just covering for him? There is NOTHING Trump’s supporters in the House and Senate can be guilty of, that Biden’s supporters can’t also be guilty of.
Bear in mind that Trump’s being dirty and uncouth himself, does not necessarily mean he’s involved with the same crimes his kids are.
And, once again for everyone: believing Trump isn’t guilty of a particular allegation isn’t nearly the same as being his fan and/or lickspittle.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:15 pmRip, apologies for my #245 as it was too much.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:24 pmI put Gateway Pundit, Instapundit, Red State, Hot Air, the various talking heads on the right, et al, in the “gold digger” category of Trump supporter. In it for the Benjamins like AOC told her sister BOC at the barricade. Sure, they were peddling a “conservative” line before, but the Trump brand helped to hold on to and substantially expand their market.
nk (cb210e) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:45 pmNo, unless there was direct evidence of President Trump’s involvement. In both cases the children of Trump and Biden are responsible for their own actions.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:54 pmnk (cb210e) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:45 pm
Spot on, nk. I don’t know how anyone can think they’re getting objective news from these places.
When Trump came on the scene, every TV host, radio host, and political writer who had previously been conservative had to make a choice – “Do I say the emperor has no clothes, and watch my audience dwindle, or do I jump on the Trump train?” Most chose the latter.
norcal (a601c0) — 4/29/2024 @ 3:57 pmSad!
Comedy gold!
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 4/29/2024 @ 4:36 pmBOAR is my nickname for Donald J. Trump. I thought most people here would like it.
I favor Incredible Dolt In Orange Toupee. IDIOT.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 4:45 pmWhen Trump came on the scene, every TV host, radio host, and political writer who had previously been conservative had to make a choice
Who goes Nazi?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 4:49 pmTo be fair, really nothing major on the right is as bad as Gateway Pundit. Not even Truth Social.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 4:55 pmI glance at Instapundit from time to time. There’s still some ponies there. Not so much Hotair, Ace or Redstate.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 4:58 pmAnother media Trumpinista!
BuDuh (43e611) — 4/29/2024 @ 5:40 pmDefine objective media?
You want anti-Trump bias.
Enjoy the rest of the left-wing media.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 4/29/2024 @ 6:30 pmBuDuh,
Nancy sounds like lots of the Biden apologists. Muh Trump they say.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 4/29/2024 @ 6:50 pm@258 “One word: Nothingburger.”
One word: Hypocrisy.
There’s much more evidence of illegal activity by Biden than there ever was by Trump before the two year Weissman fishing expedition set sail.
lloyd (55b7d0) — 4/29/2024 @ 7:30 pm@224 “I agree that these charges should have been addressed in 2022/2023 — not now. Problem is that the reason these things are delayed is that’s a part of the DJT legal strategy. If it ends up backfiring on him — tough.”
So, the Trump legal strategy was to get Willis and her lead prosecutor to hook up? Amazing. The Georgia indictments came down in August 2023 after Willis launched an investigation two and a half years earlier. From January 2024 onward, it was the Willis/Wade show. The carefully crafted delays and dumb and dumber screw ups were the prosecution’s alone. But it conveniently may keep Trump “nailed to the floor” during the campaign, so it’s all good.
lloyd (55b7d0) — 4/29/2024 @ 8:13 pmKevin, how about MORON (Man Of Royal Orange Nincompoopery)? 😉
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 8:30 pmAnd to NJRob, BuDuh, lloyd and whembly:
There’s acronyms I could share for Biden as well, but none are printable on family blog. 🙂
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 8:31 pmApologies in advance everyone, but I just had to share this. Found it at X/Twitter.
The kind of bipartisanship that I can 100% support. 🙂
(And, trigger warning for asset.)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMYoGBdaYAAWVHh?format=jpg&name=large
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:07 pmI’ll take 700 please!
https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-choco-taco-is-coming-back-for-a-limited-time/ar-AA1nSYtu?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=5fe4963cd8d44f33be32198f7002bbc7&ei=6
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:13 pmWhat a factless pantload.
The facts are that only Hunter is on the hook for illegal activity, having mostly to do with his tax affairs.
There’s no evidence of illegal activity by Jim Biden, but lots of evidence that he tried to trade in on his brother’s name to scare up some income (Hunter, too, in that regard).
There’s no evidence of illegal activity by Joe. The closest was his possession of classified materials, for which he was cleared by a Republican Special Counsel.
The facts of Trump’s illegal activity is well document in his four indictments.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:45 pmHere’s the thing: Biden is, at worst, a mundane crook. Maybe he lines his pockets with graft. Trump is a bust-out artist and the thing he wants to bust out is the United States.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:48 pmThere’s much more evidence of illegal activity by Biden than there ever was by Trump before the two year Weissman fishing expedition set sail.
I’m sorry, musta missed it.
Is there a contest going on right now between Biden and Trump to see who can get away with the most crimes? Who’s winning? Is there a prize for winning? What is it, pray tell?
If Biden has committed a crime, go after him.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:51 pmIf Trump has committed a crime, go after him.
This ain’t rocket science, people.
lloyd, you’re not necessarily wrong, but:
even if Biden is as dirty as we think he is, that doesn’t excuse a single thing Trump has done.
Yes, people: the door swings both ways.
qdpsteve again (929fe0) — 4/29/2024 @ 9:55 pm@271 define objective media non-existent. The subject can never be the object. Sarte. So called objective un-bias media came about int the 1950’s by the corporate deep state media to fool the public in its war on communism.
asset (15027b) — 4/29/2024 @ 10:23 pm“There’s much more evidence of illegal activity by Biden than…”
Yet it appears that no Republican investigative committee, prosecutor, or news organization can present this “evidence” in a persuadable manner. It’s always over-promised accusations and under-delivered facts and evidence.
The GOP is stuck in a bog of false equivalencies and ignorant conspiracies. The more I see, the more I worry for our future.
Outside of Ukraine, the Democrats are misguided on most policy and would willingly spend us into a black hole and cynically divide us by race, income, and culture. But the GOP can’t tell the truth and can’t clean up its own mess. One’s critical reasoning has to be broken to look at Trump’s actions and not have concerns.
Trump is a grown man who’s never been held to account for his actions…or has always been able to pay his way free. And now we have an entire ecosystem of enablers dedicated to protecting him yet again. This won’t end well.
AJ_Liberty (5fc741) — 4/30/2024 @ 5:03 amVery well said, AJ_Liberty. Every word.
nk (c1a523) — 4/30/2024 @ 5:26 amI’ll say it again, since no one has challenged it:
“There’s much more evidence of illegal activity by Biden than there ever was by Trump before the two year Weissman fishing expedition set sail.”
Trump’s indictments have no relevance. Whether Biden actually did anything illegal has no relevance. A two year fishing expedition by the DOJ might find something. Suddenly, you don’t want that.
Inadequate evidence of wrongdoing didn’t matter to any of you in 2017. It matters to you now. Hypocrisy is your tribe.
lloyd (55b7d0) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:12 amLloyd, In 2017 it wasn’t Democrats that opened on investigation on Trump. It was Jeff Sessions, one of Trump’s earliest supporters, a life long and partisan republican who Trump had selected to be his Attorney General.
Time123 (dfa322) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:21 am’ll say it again, since no one has challenged it:
“There’s much more evidence of illegal activity by Biden than there ever was by Trump before the two year Weissman fishing expedition set sail.”
Biden had a money launderer for his campaign manager and a notorious liar who paid $45,000 to have dinner with Putin in 2015 for his National Security Advisor? How come Comer did not tell me that?
nk (c1a523) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:43 amSo, you were against it then, Time123? And, you’re against it now? This isn’t about what the DOJ did, and is doing now, it’s about what the DOJ should do. What should they do, Time123, based on the standard that has been set?
The investigation was McCabe’s, not Rosenstein’s, “insurance policy” according to anti-Trump text messages. Sessions was obligated to recuse. McCabe was not. The hypocrisy dates back years.
lloyd (53ed02) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:44 amhttps://thefederalist.com/2024/04/29/communist-defectors-warn-about-four-stages-of-subversion-and-america-is-on-the-last-one/
Plain as day what the left is doing to America.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:02 amBragg did Trump a favor with this hush money prosecution as far am I’m concerned. If Trump really had been a deep cover Soviet mole planted to bring down America, he would not have needed Michael Cohen to so unspeakably incompetently deal with Stormy Daniels. The SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service, would have “dealt” with her.
See? I can be objective when it comes to Trump.
nk (c1a523) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:16 amThank you, AJ.
Paul Montagu (895dc0) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:37 amIf you want to know how feckless and ineffectual the administrators at Columbia are, Mr. “Zionists Don’t Deserve To Live” was expelled from Columbia but is one of leaders of the current building break-in. Terrorists don’t deserve to live.
Paul Montagu (895dc0) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:47 amHow totally unexpected! Which is to say completely expected.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-stormy-daniels-hush-money-election-2024-d2f9badee0b28a60d32bc98c0d4e783f
The audio at the link contains a quote straight from ahem Trump’s mouth about the judge himself, which the judge probably did not consider one of the violations of the gag order. They have thick skins in that regard.
nk (e0791f) — 4/30/2024 @ 9:34 amIt’s always over-promised accusations and under-delivered facts and evidence.
Well, some people accept the hype and find the facts tedious to sort through.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 9:50 amThe GOP is stuck in a bog of false equivalencies and ignorant conspiracies. The more I see, the more I worry for our future.
You’re right to worry. See my #57.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 9:52 amThe Federalist (not to be confused with The Federalist Society or anything George Washington was involved with) is the high-brow version of Breitbart. Same lies, better told.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 9:55 amMr. “Zionists Don’t Deserve To Live” was expelled from Columbia but is one of leaders of the current building break-in.
Will Columbia prosecute this asshat? Criminal trespass, breaking and entering, unlawful occupation, etc.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 9:59 amIt’s not all hopeless at Columbia:
Columbia Elects an Israeli Student
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 10:03 amProtesters take over student union at UNM. New Mexico State Police remove them.
https://www.abqjournal.com/clickable/protesters-removed-from-unm-student-union-20-pictures/collection_ba5b15ce-06a0-11ef-886d-4bf469d88656.html#1
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 10:08 amLloyd notes:
As things stand now, the Willis/Wade episode has not delayed the trial date. If it gets delayed — it will be because the Georgia State Appeals Court takes the stance that the Trump appeal of the detemination that Fani can still try the case is getting heard and trial prep must be held up until that’s finished. The reason this trial will be ready to go in August/Septemeber is that Federal trials have been successfully delayed by Trump’s appeals to the Supreme Court or Judge Cannon’s corrupt antics. If those trials were on schedule, Georgia would have ended up being pushed back to 2025.
So, yep, it’s not good that the GOP nominee for President will be stuck in an Atlanta courtroom (where the air conditioning may not work) in August. Fall is nice here, though, so if the trial runs long he’ll at least have good weather.
Appalled (ec917d) — 4/30/2024 @ 1:07 pm“Corrupt” is a pretty powerful word.
What are the top 10 examples of Judge Cannon’s “corrupt” antics?
BuDuh (43e611) — 4/30/2024 @ 1:19 pmBuDuh:
#302 I’ll let one of your regular sparring partners take that on, if they want. I think it’s a time waster — much like a Cannon hearing in this case.
Appalled (ec917d) — 4/30/2024 @ 1:34 pmSo… nothing.
Figured as much.
I’m sure the crowd that tackles false accusations against Biden will be here shortly to dress you down. They don’t like evidence free commentary.
BuDuh (43e611) — 4/30/2024 @ 1:36 pmThere’s about as much evidence of Judge Cannon’s corruption as there is for President Biden’s.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 4/30/2024 @ 1:37 pmSee..
Try harder next time, Appalled.
BuDuh (43e611) — 4/30/2024 @ 1:48 pmThis will give you something to chew on, BuDuh:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/03/politics/legal-fights-judge-trump-documents-trial/index.html
“Corruption” relates to Cannon’s penchant for odd rulings that all somehow benefit the delay strategy of one of the parties in this case or give credence to his peculiar reading of the Espionage Act and the Presidential records Act, but are just not quite enough to appeal up to the 11th circuit.
But I think you know all the arguments here.
Appalled (ec917d) — 4/30/2024 @ 2:21 pmSpeaking of protests Happy Vietnam victory day! and who finally won at kent state! Something to keep in mind if it happens again.
asset (5d4653) — 4/30/2024 @ 2:23 pmOuch!
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 4/30/2024 @ 3:21 pmThe 11th Circuit found that Cannon “abused her discretion” when she tried to suppress the seized Mar-a-Lago documents on the first appeal by the prosecution.
Abuse of discretion is a pretty heavy hit against a judge. Not corruption, exactly, but something in-between “self abuse” and “not fit to be a judge”.
I predicted then that Jack Smith was never going to get even a quantum of solace from this judge on any matter which was not cut and dried in favor of the government.
nk (f5b17c) — 4/30/2024 @ 3:24 pm@310
GOOD.
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving prosecutor.
In fact, prosecutors deserves zero solace in every case. Make them prove the charges in clearest way possible.
whembly (0ce7ed) — 4/30/2024 @ 4:29 pmI am not the last word on who is corrupt, BuhDuh.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 4/30/2024 @ 5:00 pm235 years ago today.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 4/30/2024 @ 5:13 pmWho cares, Rip?
Team Biden may have an interest in your updated resume. I don’t.
BuDuh (922bdd) — 4/30/2024 @ 5:17 pmAbout Columbia:
Any guesses whether Bragg will prosecute?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 5:58 pmCatoggio making sense again:
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/heightening-the-contradictions/
So true.
Since then, Barr has done a Ted Cruz, and now plans to vote for Trump.
norcal (632524) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:00 pmSince then, Barr has done a Ted Cruz, and now plans to vote for Trump.
When only weevils are running, you have to vote for the lesser weevil.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:02 pmThe other thing I did not know before this trial, besides Trump probably not being a Russian mole, was that Trump and Pecker had fabricated the story about Ted Cruz’s father being in Dallas when JFK was assassinated.
That makes Ted Cruz lower than a snake’s belly in my estimation for reconciling with Trump to get his endorsement.
nk (460664) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:09 pmCompletely fabricated down to fake photos. There should be a tort there, if nothing else (probably not since his dad is dead, but…)
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:13 pmnk (460664) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:09 pm
Ted Cruz made a big speech about that condemning Donald Trump on May 3, 2016, the day it happened – this was timed to coincide with the Indiana primary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdy2de3LTe4 Ted Cruz withdrew from the race after he lost that primary.
I thought Roger Stone originated that story, or at least he claimed credit for it. I think Trump himself mentioned that story on the campaign trail.
I also think the picture was supposed to have been taken some time before November 22, 1963, in New Orleans.
Of course it didn’t say anything about Ted Cruz, or even his father (except that his father was anti-Castro and would not have associated with Oswald and the picture didn’t even look like him) but the National Enquirer played it like it could mean something.
The National Enquirer dropped it after one day. But Ted Cruz had withdrawn from the race, maybe to stop the Enquirer from publishing more slander or slander-like things. Ted Cruz later made some effort in 2016 to take the nomination away from Donald Trump at the convention.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:02 pmThat makes Ted Cruz lower than a snake’s belly in my estimation for reconciling with Trump to get his endorsement.
nk (460664) — 4/30/2024 @ 6:09 pm
100%. Trump attacked not just Cruz’s father, but Cruz’s wife, too. Have you no honor, man?
Cruz knows who and what Trump is, and licks his boots anyway. He is worse than Trump.
norcal (632524) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:07 pmCruz knows who and what Trump is, and licks his boots anyway. He is worse than Trump.
To be fair, we as a nation backed some truly terrible people: Pinochet, Somoza, Batista, Franco, Alfredo Stroessner, the South African Nationalist Party, the Saudi Royal family, etc. Why? Because the other guys were worse.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:23 pmBecause the other guys were worse.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:23 pm
Sure. So why is Cruz backing not only the guy who is worse, but a guy who insulted his father and his wife? I hope the answer isn’t a Senate seat.
norcal (632524) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:30 pm@316 Yes norcal, who are we going to believe, Moby Nick or our lying eyes? Stagflation, two wars, open borders, anti-Semites in the State Department, Afghanistan pullout, student debt giveaways, interest rates, gas prices, leftist judges, a justice system turned into a DNC campaign tool, etc. To believe anti-anti-Biden logic, we should find it appealing that Joe may be more effective at getting his policies through. Convincing!
lloyd (a7afef) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:50 pmYes norcal, who are we going to believe, Moby Nick or our lying eyes? Stagflation, two wars, open borders, anti-Semites in the State Department, Afghanistan pullout, student debt giveaways, interest rates, gas prices, leftist judges, a justice system turned into a DNC campaign tool, etc. To believe anti-anti-Biden logic, we should find it appealing that Joe may be more effective at getting his policies through. Convincing!
lloyd (a7afef) — 4/30/2024 @ 7:50 pm
I’m going to believe what Bill Barr said a year ago.
I’m with you on the border issue and student debt giveaways. I’m a retired immigration officer, and the border issue makes my blood boil. I’ve mentioned before what a big slap in the face debt forgiveness is to those who paid back their loans.
Trump and Biden co-own inflation because of all the money given away during Covid under both Presidencies; therefore, they both are responsible for the high interest rates it is now taking to tame inflation.
They also co-own Afghanistan. Trump is the one who proposed withdrawing (a big mistake, since we were there at minimal cost), and said Biden wasn’t getting out fast enough.
I don’t like many of Biden’s policies, but Trump is a tyrant who wants to terminate the Constitution. That is a higher order of concern.
He’s still, STILL lying about the 2020 election. Trying to overturn an election is utterly disqualifying.
norcal (632524) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:03 pmLloyd, it’s hard to believe you’re serious. You’re changing the meaning of terms to make things seem worse than they are.
Stagflation? In the 70s when the term was coined we had 5+% unemployment and 5+% inflation for over 8 years! There was one year (2022; which, to be fair, was bad!) that had higher than 5% inflation and this past year it dropped back to 3.4%. And during that time the economy has been humming with near record low unemployment for years!
Two wars?! We aren’t at war with anyone! You’re going to count the US’s support of Ukraine and Israel as “two wars.” We have to count wars by our allies as wars to make it seem like things are bad?
Yes, the border is a mess. Why say there are “open borders” when there aren’t?
The state department is not any more anti-Semetic than it’s ever been.
The Afghanistan pullout followed Trump’s plan.
Sure, you can be upset by student debt forgiveness, but that’s a normal policy disagreement.
I’m not even sure what you’re complaining about with gas prices (again, outside of 2022), interest rates, or the Justice Department.
If you find yourself having to pretend things to rationalize a choice… maybe don’t rationalize that choice?
Nate (cfb326) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:17 pmProtesters at Columbia removed by NYPD after Columbia University gave authorization. About 100 people arrested, some from the tent city on the quad (the tents have been left alone – it’s up to the university to decide what to do with them and with personal belongings left behind) and 40 inside Hamilton Hall, most on the first floor, which about 50 police entered through a window.
The reason given is that some were identified as professional protesters with no connection to the university and fears they would escalate. And they did some damage to security cameras at least.
A few minor scuffles still taking place on university grounds but no injuries reported. There’s also some trouble at City College.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:21 pmWait a minute. You repeatedly argue the opposite. You’re Mister Vote Third Party because you refuse to settle for the lesser weevil.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:25 pmStagflation? In the 70s when the term was coined we had 5+% unemployment and 5+% inflation for over 8 years!
In 1979 it was 11.3% and 1980 it was 13.3$
The prime rate hit 20% in early 1980. You couldn’t really get a mortgage.
Saying it was over 5% really minimizes the problem that hit in 1979-80
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:29 pmYou’re Mister Vote Third Party because you refuse to settle for the lesser weevil.
But I’m not talking about how I vote, I’m talking about what “rational” people do.
Me? At this point, I’m voting for C’thulhu, as he is the greatest weevil.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:31 pmHave you noticed that these 5-way polls neglect the Libertarians, who will probably be the only third party on all ballots?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:33 pm@326 Nate, the country is objectively worse pertaining to the issues I listed, plus many others not listed. If you want to quibble that they aren’t as worse as described, fine. My description stands, for all of them. In particular, your assurance about the State Department is plainly ridiculous. If all these issues were happening under Trump’s (or any Republican’s) watch, we’d be hearing a lot worse here and I wonder if you’d be bothered enough to counter any of it.
lloyd (a7afef) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:38 pmHave you noticed that these 5-way polls neglect the Libertarians, who will probably be the only third party on all ballots?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:33 pm
Here are the five fabulous choices:
Weekend at Bernie’s
Coup plotting con man
“Vaccines cause autism”, “Sirhan Sirhan didn’t murder my father” conspiracy theorist
Diarrhea of the mouth
Green dreamer
norcal (632524) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:39 pmSure it did…
Start here:
BuDuh (922bdd) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:49 pmhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmDXiSTbycU
BuDuh, I usually read your links, and often find them worth reading, but I’m not willing to watch a 4 hour video. Would you like to summarize what you want me to see there?
Nate (cfb326) — 4/30/2024 @ 10:00 pm@315 He better not if he wants to get re-elected!
asset (c5cbab) — 4/30/2024 @ 10:28 pmLeft activists now joining collage protesters to teach them how power politics work. Protests spread across the country even in mormon Utah!
asset (c5cbab) — 4/30/2024 @ 10:32 pm@337
Settle down,
norcal (a490b2) — 4/30/2024 @ 11:43 pmBeavisasset.Fighting going on at UCLA between two different groups of protesters. It was started by pro-Israel protesters (some were waving Israeli flags) It took some time for police to arrive. It’s been going on a few hours.
This does resemble Weimar Germany, except there it was going on between Communists and Nazis,
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 5/1/2024 @ 2:29 amThese things all follow a predictable path.
The public relations war was prepared in advance and ready to go as much as the actal October 7 raid was.
The organizers mobilized their cadres and quickly swelled their ranks with volunteers some more sincere than others.
Now the “official” chaoticists have been mobilized to escalate the nuisance and create martyrs if they can, and opportunistic “volunteer” chaoticists, again of varying sincerity, are joining in.
nk (460664) — 5/1/2024 @ 5:46 amAnd like Alan Seeger told Princess Michael of Kent, there are the sporadic internet trolls yapping for attention like puppies at a noisy party excited by the commotion.
nk (460664) — 5/1/2024 @ 6:07 amNate,
if we were using the same terminology and categories for inflation that we used in the 1970s, inflation is around 18%. For someone who claims the mantle of righteousness, I figured you’d know that.
NJRob (8e0c83) — 5/1/2024 @ 6:44 amOn Saturday, “joyful crowds” turned out to celebrate new Sound Transit commuter rail line. Or so said the Seattle Times. Top Democrats headlined the celebration, pleased at this “progressive” triumph.
I have to admit that I smiled as I read the article, and watched a little of the TV news stories. The line links two poverty-stricken cities, Bellevue and Redmond. It is six miles long, and cost, so far, a measly 3.7 billion. It already has an additional, special police unit. Supposedly, it will be linked to the much larger Seattle-based system real soon, so that it can be used for something practical, like getting to the Seatac airport. As far as I can tell, trips on it will be slower, for most riders, than the buses, which have been in use for years.
I smiled, because the whole thing is so absurd — but I do feel sorry for my younger family members and friends in the area, who will have to pay for all this.
(For the record: At 80, I have given up driving, at least for now. I use buses in this area regularly. and have found them adequate for my simple needs.)
Jim Miller (157b85) — 5/1/2024 @ 7:57 am340. nk (460664) — 5/1/2024 @ 5:46 am
Yes, I think so. There were people rushing to condemn Israel within a day or two – before there was anything to condemn. They wanted people to pick their side.
But at the same time they had to keep it tightly held and highly secret or else Israel might be forewarned.
Exactly how both goals were accomplished I don’t know enough to make a good guess.
But I think the people who planned this did not have contact with anyone in the United States before the October 7 raids. Or if there was anyone they did not take any steps.
The cadres existed but, except for the most highly trusted people, they could not be told that anything was imminent.
They started fast, but not too fast.
There seems to have been another round that was timed to take place right after the Congressional hearing with the president of Columbia University. There seems to be an attempt to whipsaw college administrators.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:22 am299. The School of General Studies has many nontraditional students.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:25 amYeah, I was shocked to find out that wasn’t true. About as much as this photo.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:33 amSome faculty is involved also,
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1248099600/campus-protests-faculty-arrests-letters-no-confidence-votes
At Northwestern the university negotiated a deal with the protesters to promote more propaganda.
evidently written before last night
https://www.wsj.com/articles/columbia-northwestern-florida-campus-protests-israel-palestine-30761ae8
Presumably, what they didn’t do is agree to any disinvestment which might be illegal.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:34 amhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/national-enquirer-ted-cruz-father-rafael-lee-harvey-oswald-rcna149027
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:37 amThe Libertarians don’t have a presidential candidate yet, their convention will be held in late May. All of the potential candidates are nobodies.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:41 amOh please-talk about an exaggeration.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:43 amJews fighting back.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:55 am331. Kevin M (a9545f) — 4/30/2024 @ 8:33 pm
No. I haven’t seen them mentioned in any news articles, either.
They invariably poll names of candidates, not parties, except in races for the House of Representatives.
The Libertarians have probably not yet chosen a candidate, so they are missing from all the polls. It helps maybe that sources from the two major political parties always menttion Robert=rt F. Kennedy Jr., Cornell West, Jill Stein and- who else?
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 5/1/2024 @ 9:20 amWell, I mean this incident at UCLA resemblest happened in Weimar Germany, not the situation as a whole.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 5/1/2024 @ 9:22 amUCLA reminds me of Mao’s indoctrination camps where the fevered followers mauled those who weren’t righteous enough.
NJRob (8e0c83) — 5/1/2024 @ 9:27 amStill sounds like you’re equating the pro-Israel protesters to Nazis or communists.
Rip Murdock (deb95b) — 5/1/2024 @ 12:29 pmAll of the potential candidates are nobodies.
That’s what happens when the party and its principles are the main draw.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/1/2024 @ 12:47 pmStill sounds like you’re equating the pro-Israel protesters to Nazis or communists.
Indeed, when it is more like “Jews fighting back.”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/1/2024 @ 12:48 pmIt’s closer to hardhats vs hippies.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/1/2024 @ 12:49 pm“A Dog, A Goat, A Girl, And A Gun” may turn out to be serendipitous for Kristi Noem after all. It might not get her Vice President of the United States but it could very well get her president of some university.
nk (0d1f33) — 5/1/2024 @ 1:15 pmArizona 1864 abortion law repealed.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/1/2024 @ 1:40 pmDon Quixote would be proud.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/1/2024 @ 2:35 pm“A Dog, A Goat, A Girl, And A Gun”
nk (0d1f33) — 5/1/2024 @ 1:15 pm
Ahaha! I am totally using that.
norcal (3f57bd) — 5/1/2024 @ 2:58 pmInteresting factoid: One of the two Republicans who crossed party lines is married to one of the Supreme Court justices who was in the majority allowing the law to into effect. Once the 1864 ban is repealed, abortions will be banned after 15 weeks, which is no ban at all, since by far most abortions occur in the first trimester (93.5%) and over 50% are medical, as opposed to surgical.
Also, Florida’s six-week ban on abortions goes into effect today. It is unlikely to be repealed in November as the constitutional amendment will require a 60% supermajority to pass. A recent poll from Florida Atlantic University’s Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab shows that 49% support Amendment 4; 19% oppose; and 32% don’t know.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/1/2024 @ 3:29 pmSometimes Democrats and Republicans do work together, even in Congress. For example:
The authors of this hard-hitting opinion piece:
Jim Miller (436d39) — 5/1/2024 @ 3:40 pm@342 I’m not sure what you mean, Rob. Can you clarify? I’m certainly open to any information you can provide.
Nate (cfb326) — 5/1/2024 @ 4:10 pm#365 (and preceding) For those who want to argue about historical inflation rates, here’s a handy table:
Caution: It is a serious error to ascribe all, or usually even most, changes in inflation to presidents and their policies. For one thing, presidents are not all powerful, may not even be able to get their programs through Congress.
For another, even absolute monarchs may not have control over external events. Here’s a historical example that should be better known, since something like it is sure to happen again.
Jim Miller (762269) — 5/1/2024 @ 4:33 pmJim, I don’t have any real disagreements with anything you posted here.
Nate (cfb326) — 5/1/2024 @ 4:37 pmNate, it really is an extraordinary hearing. I do recommend listening to it in its entirety.
Of the many things covered there are specifics to how Biden and crew were not obligated to do any of the agreement(which I don’t understand why that isn’t obvious to anyone who understands the power that a new administration has.). Also the generals are clear about how they didn’t want the in country force to go below a certain threshold. They presented Trump with that number and he deferred to the generals and their expertise. Biden did the opposite.
I may listen to it again and if I do I will post time stamps if I have time. Again, I really think everyone should listen to certain hearings in there entirety. And this is one of them. The generals were very candid in responding to the questions.
BuDuh (922bdd) — 5/1/2024 @ 4:51 pmDon Quixote would be proud.
“A futile and stupid gesture”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/1/2024 @ 5:36 pmhttps://pjmedia.com/athena-thorne/2024/05/01/gofundme-raises-100k-to-throw-massive-rager-for-unc-flag-protecting-heroes-n4928685
Feel good story of the day.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 5/1/2024 @ 7:30 pmAin’t that the truth.
Rip Murdock (1db29c) — 5/1/2024 @ 8:05 pm@363 You don’t need a super majority to vote the legislature out. The republicans will try to prevent as many democrats as possible from voting.
asset (e56bab) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:41 amPretty simple.
https://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/inflation-charts
Use the same categories they did under Carter and you see what inflation currently is.
All the government is doing is gaming the system to pull wool over the public’s eyes.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 5/2/2024 @ 4:04 am@354
Most revolutions starts out with both the malcontents and the impressionable young adults.
We need to start calling them that.
Commies.
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 7:06 amAin’t that the truth.
The point, which you so carefully miss, is that sometimes such a gesture is needed.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 7:34 amwhembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 7:06 am
They’re not
A lot of them are Trotskyites (Democratic Socialists of America)
They are descended from organized groups who didn’t like the fact that they were kicked out of the Communist Party by Stalin’s people, and wouldn’t give up.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 5/2/2024 @ 7:45 amPlease, take a gander of this article as the author seems to have done his research:
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/what-happens-when-the-law-and-the-indictment-do-not-state-what-the-crime-is/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=featured-content-trending&utm_term=first
…
…
No matter what you think of this author’s position… the think that struck out to me is this – what is the limiting principle that a prosecutor can nebulously point to this “other crime”?
Is that up to the Judge?
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 7:46 am@379
So…
Commies.
Gotcha.
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 7:46 amPerverse Google Calendar operation (but please don’t call it a bug):
Back in February I entered a number of appointments for April. At the time, Google knew I was in the Mountain Standard time zone. Then, in March, I “moved” to the Mountain Daylight time zone, and Google helpfully moved all my appointments to an hour later.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 8:18 amFutile gestures are a waste of time. They may make you feel good, but they accomplish nothing.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/2/2024 @ 9:19 amBecause the repeal didn’t include an emergency provision allowing it take effect immediately, the “repeal” won’t become law until July.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/2/2024 @ 9:23 amFutile gestures are a waste of time. They may make you feel good, but they accomplish nothing.
Tell that to the Boston Tea Party. Tell me, Rip, have you ever considered working outside the box?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 10:17 amBecause the repeal didn’t include an emergency provision allowing it take effect immediately, the “repeal” won’t become law until July.
It would have required more votes, which they did not have.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 10:17 amOnly when it makes sense.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/2/2024 @ 10:36 amOnly when it makes sense.
Irony is not dead.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 10:40 amThe Libertarians had the opportunity of a life in 2016: two weak major party candidates while the LP had two experienced governors. Rather than promising a Libertarian lean to governance, they provided the usual craziness…plusu the discomfort of bobbling the Aleppo question.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 5/2/2024 @ 10:42 amAs I said, voting Libertarian may feel good, but it accomplishes nothing.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/2/2024 @ 10:42 amhttps://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/01/starbucks-mcdonalds-yum-earnings-show-consumers-pulling-back.html
I’m shocked.
NJRob (23e640) — 5/2/2024 @ 11:17 amhttps://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1786049236418609249?
Plead thr 5th.
NJRob (23e640) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:06 pm@390
Was this the guy that was originally on the NY prosecution team trying to bring charges to Trump prior to Bragg taking over?
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:31 pmwhembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:31 pm
But I think it was a different crime, I think based on the same thing that Trump was fined in the civil suit (about property evaluations)
Bragg chose a weaker case.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:46 pm@391
ooooof…
Pleading the 5th as a Prosecutor… is not a good look.
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:48 pmquoted in 377:
It’s not the statute I think that needs to state that, it’s the indictment!
Otherwise, what?
A charge that the general purpose of the falsifying of the records, IN THE MIND OF THE DEFENDANT, was to cover up some sort of crime?? And that the defendant didn’t have to know, or even have an opinion, as to what crime, or whose crime, it was?
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:50 pm393. whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:48 pm
But prosecutors generally have immunity – the type of immunity Trump wants.
What crime could he possibly be charged with? Perjury somewhere else??
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/2/2024 @ 12:52 pm@393
Right?
The fundamental defect of this indictment, imo, is that Bragg refused to include the other crime in the indictment.
Because, when Trump’s convicted (and let’s be honest, he will bill)… the appeal will throw out this conviction on principle that the defendant’s must be put on notices to all crimes being alledged in the indictment.
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:09 pm@394
Right?
Is he worried that he may be charged with some sort of fraud against the courts?
whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:11 pmwhembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:09 pm
I think he included three or four possibilities, in general terms at least.
https://nypost.com/2023/04/04/braggs-case-is-a-legal-mess-what-is-he-even-charging-trump-with
In court, his prosecutor has been going on about Trump trying to influence the election – which is not a crime, even if dishonest means are used.
https://nypost.com/2024/04/23/us-news/trump-prosecutors-reveal-case-rests-on-proving-conspiracy
There are some more specific laws they cited. But I think the jury’s not being asked to find that some specific statute was violated ad then covered up.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:31 pm397. whembly (86df54) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:11 pm
I think it would have to be criminal. An indictment brought for an illegitimate reason.
A Baltimore prosecutor was recently convicted but it was on two counts pf lying to improperly take withdrawals from her retirement account under the guise of COVID relief, and in a separate trial, of making a false mortgage application when she was Baltimore City State’s Attorney, relating to the purchase of a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida (she was acquitted her of making a false mortgage application related to her purchase of a home in Kissimmee, Florida.)
Whenever they investigate someone they look at all documents they signed.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:39 pmIf the failure to include “the other crime” mad the indictment fundamentally defective, I assume Trump’s lawyers would have challenged the indictment on those grounds. However, under New York law, Bragg was not required to do so. Bragg is required to prove, however
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:48 pmMore:
Source, paragraphs b & c.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 5/2/2024 @ 1:52 pmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/opinion/columbia-university-protests.html
Eichmann in Jerusalem isn’t so goof. This was the thing that the banality of evil came from. Someone wrote a whole book arguing against it “And the Crooked Shall be made Straight” The banality of evil was how Eichmann made it appear. But actually, to Eichmann, murdering people was like running up the score in a pinball machine.
More:
Douhat argues that The situation with Israel is the only place where their preoccupations bear some (limited) relationship to reality.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 5/2/2024 @ 4:30 pm#401 Sammy – Interesting piece. Who wrote it?
Jim Miller (0cc49d) — 5/2/2024 @ 4:39 pm@402. Ross Douthat
lurker (cd7cd4) — 5/2/2024 @ 5:37 pmI would add Hoffer’s “The True Believer” to that list. I would also want significant attention to the Cold War, as it was a study in diplomacy working.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 5:52 pmBiden’s message of “If you elect Trump we’ll have chaos” is getting kinda weak. Of course, Trump’s “law & order” message is itself a bit dim given his legal problems.
But this is the best this great country, and its two great parties, can offer.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/2/2024 @ 6:37 pmWith Trump, the fraud is sure to follow, and the next shoe to drop is Trump’s Truth Social CPAs. If he’s not committing fraud himself, he’s hiring fraud accountants.
However, Borgers may have gotten it right when they questioned Trump’s media platform’s ability to continue as a going concern which, in NormalWorld, is a death knell for a company.
Paul Montagu (895dc0) — 5/3/2024 @ 8:45 amWe’re not in Kansas anymore.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/3/2024 @ 9:44 amIf W could run again, he’d be a landslide victor against these two clowns.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/3/2024 @ 9:45 amI doubt that.
BuDuh (4214e4) — 5/3/2024 @ 9:47 amPaul, has this come up on your National Zero feed?
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/03/politics/henry-cuellar-indictment-doj/index.html
BuDuh (4214e4) — 5/3/2024 @ 9:48 am#403 lurker – Thanks, much.
Jim Miller (35b333) — 5/3/2024 @ 11:01 amIs this also lawfare? The Woke hate the man:
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/3/2024 @ 11:49 amRep. Henry Cuellar accused of taking bribes from Azerbaijan, Mexican bank
Is is possible that, not wanting to deal with the mess, both candidates are trying to throw the election to the other guy? Because neither one seems to demonstrate leadership or ability.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/3/2024 @ 11:51 amKevin M, I wouldn’t put it past today’s DNC to frame Cuellar. That’s how much they hate pro-lifers.
qdpsteve again (711764) — 5/3/2024 @ 11:56 amCorrection: The Arizona Constitution requires any repeal to wait 90 days after the legislative session ends, so it could be as late as October or November before the repeal takes effect.
Rip Murdock (1803bc) — 5/3/2024 @ 12:06 pm@411. You’re welcome, Jim.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 5/3/2024 @ 3:25 pmJudge corrects Trump’s claim that gag order prevents his testimony
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4641378-trump-hush-money-trial-judge-gag-order-testimony/
This was interesting after yesterday’s trial. Trump claimed that his gag order was preventing him from testifying and that the gag order was unprecedented.
I’m curious if he is just this stupid…or if he’s just that mendacious….or some combination of the two. The gag order does not prevent him from complaining about the proceeding, the judge, the prosecutor, or the witch hunt generally. He just can’t complain about jurors and ancillary court people. He is allowed to testify in court…or not to if he prefers.
This is the GOP’s leading voice. How embarrassing.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 5/3/2024 @ 3:42 pmThere is a new weekend thread, AJ.
BuDuh (3ac755) — 5/3/2024 @ 3:54 pmRep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.) and his wife allegedly accepted $600,000 in bribes
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/3/2024 @ 11:49 am
He should have hid the $600,000 in his freezer. Dummy.
norcal (52c77c) — 5/3/2024 @ 4:05 pmI’m curious if he is just this stupid…or if he’s just that mendacious….or some combination of the two.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 5/3/2024 @ 3:42 pm
Trump isn’t stupid. I think his detractors make a big mistake when they say that.
It’s mendacious all the way. Like Paul Montague, my default take is that Trump is lying, until proven otherwise.
norcal (52c77c) — 5/3/2024 @ 4:11 pmI’m curious if he is just this stupid…or if he’s just that mendacious
Deceive Inveigle Obfuscate
Kevin M (a9545f) — 5/3/2024 @ 4:22 pmHe’s always mendacious. And he’s not stupid. But he is obstinately ignorant.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 5/3/2024 @ 4:51 pmTroll said what?
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 5/4/2024 @ 7:27 am